Ripon alumni, Japanese people
look toward a new future
A massive earthquake in March and its
devastating aftereffects are having
enormous impact on the everyday lives of
Japanese people. They also are highlighting
implications for possible similar disasters
around the rest of the world. But Ripon
alumni currently living in Japan report a
strong sense of community and
determination to move forward as the
people of Japan work to recover.

8

Always for Ripon
Bill Neill ’67 has spent 36 years – nearly all
of his working career – on the campus of
his beloved alma mater. For the last 24
years, he has been director of charitable
planned giving and has gently spread his
love of Ripon and support for its mission to
countless alumni. While he plans to retire
June 30, he remains more than ever
“Always for Ripon.”

10 2011: A Class Act
The achievements of the Class of 2011 were
celebrated as the graduates received their
diplomas May 15 at Commencement.
Speakers used the day’s theme of “Ethics”
to provide guideposts for the new alumni as
they step out to take their place in the
world.
14

Unexpected doorways opened
Sam Sondalle ’11 is a first-generation
college student who grew up only 14 miles
from the Ripon College campus. His
enthusiasm, hard work and the
opportunities he pursued at Ripon have
opened up the world to him as he heads for
graduate studies at Yale University this fall.
Photo:
Friends and family of Ripon College
and its new graduates gathered under
clear and cool skies for Commencement.
The celebration on the lawn in front of
Harwood Memorial Union featured tears
and cheers as 259 members of the Class of
2011 joined the ranks of Ripon alumni.

Welcome to the New
You might have noticed something
a bit different about this issue of
the magazine. As one of the most
important windows into Ripon for
our nearly 10,000 living alumni,
we thought the only way to show
the color and zest of Ripon College
was to have a magazine that was,
well, colorful and zesty. The added
time, expertise and cost involved
with a full-color reimagining of the
publication means that, starting
with this issue, Ripon Magazine will
be published only twice per year:
a summer issue and a winter issue
with a separate Annual Report. The
overall editorial focus will be to
produce content that anyone – not
just alumni – would find interesting,
while keeping many of your favorite
sections such as Class Notes.
Regarding the magazine, I’d be
remiss if I failed to acknowledge the
editorial board who have helped us
navigate the oft-challenging transition
from old to new. Hats off to Jaye
Alderson, Stacy Chapin, Ric Damm,
Nancy Hintz ’82, Jessica Joanis,
Leigh Mlodzik ’02, Bill Neill ’67,
Chris Ogle ’80, Cody Pinkston, Sam
Poullette ’13 and Jody Roy for their
roles in bringing this dazzling new
publication to fruition.
To help fill some of the content
gaps between magazines, we soon
will launch a new Ripon.edu
website, with a number of features
that will make it easier for us to
provide our constituents with the
2

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RIPON College

David C. Joyce, President
Ripon College

latest information. We do our best
to keep pace with the dizzying
evolution of technology and how the
Ripon College community shares
information, and though it sometimes
seems like a receding horizon, we
learn more about it every day. As we
prepare to meet the challenges of
tomorrow and lay the groundwork
for our upcoming capital campaign,
these new tools will become every bit
as essential as the viewbook, a class
letter or, yes, even the magazine.
Perhaps nothing has changed how
we produce and consume content for
the Web more than video. If a picture
is worth a thousand words, then the
potential impact of digital video is
almost inestimable. A compelling
narrative of just a few minutes can

MAGA Z I N E

PRESIDENT

be shot, edited and uploaded to the
world within a few hours’ time, and
viewed by thousands or even tens
of millions if it’s compelling enough.
Contrast that with the time it takes to
develop, research and proof a feature
story, or to pitch that story to a few
dozen media outlets, and the case for
making good videos becomes very
strong. Ripon College has 40+ videos
on its YouTube page now (www.
youtube.com/moretogether) with
dozens more in the pipeline. With so
many great Ripon stories to tell, it’s
a no-brainer that we should increase
our presence in the multimedia space,
as well.
Much has changed at Ripon during
my tenure as president, and much
will continue to change. There are
a number of jokes about change in
higher education, but by and large
it is a good thing. It keeps us from
getting complacent and it forces
us to – with apologies to David
Mamet – Always Be Learning. What
should not and will not change at
Ripon are our ideals, our principles
and our values. Behind the stories
we endeavor to tell are people, and
behind those people is a fundamental
belief in what we do. The tools used
to deliver our message may change,
but our shared belief in it does not.
We hope you enjoy opening this
new window into the world of Ripon
College, and that it brings a little
extra color and zest into your day.
The best is yet to come. b

L E T T E R S to the E D I T O R
‘A Hawk’s Eye,’ indeed!
The caption for the photograph on the
back cover of the Fall 2010 issue – “A
Hawks’ eye view” over Harwood Memorial
Union – has a double meaning. The College
dietician in my time was named Lucille
Hawkins, and she ruled the kitchen and
dining room. We student workers called
her The Hawk. When I read this caption,
I found that very amusing. It has a double
meaning for us old folks who worked
in the kitchen under her hawk’s eye. My
wife, Janet Knop McCorison ’49, was The
Hawk’s assistant – a gopher, I suppose
you’d call her. I worked in the kitchen as
a dishwasher and waiter, and I mashed the
potatoes in a great big mashing machine.
Our suppers or dinners were sit-down,
and waiters served the food family-style
to the tables. It was a more-or-less formal
occasion. Those were great days, right after
the war.
Marcus McCorison ’50
Worcester, Mass.

Ripon experiences had
far-reaching effects
I was delighted with Susan Brady Wojasik’s
poem about her cat,
Jubilee, in The Last Word
of the Fall 2010 issue of the
Alumni magazine. Susan
and her husband-to-be,
George Wojasik, were good
friends of mine during my
days at Ripon. The poem
hit home since long after
Ripon I became an English professor with a
specialty in 18th-century British literature,
and I have taught the Christopher Smart
poem on which she bases her clever
effort many, many times. I don’t have
Susan’s address to direct my praise to her
personally, but perhaps this will let her
know how much I appreciated her poem
and the fond memories of Ripon, Susan and
George that it triggered.
The Fall 2010 issue, for some reason,
triggered fond memories of my days
at Ripon and my visits to the campus
thereafter. Ripon has done a great deal for
me. I was an English major who studied
under some of the best teachers and most
admirable professors one can imagine,
including Bill Tyree with whom I still
correspond, and my education at Ripon led
me to obtain both a master’s degree and a
doctorate in English and to have a full and
happy professional life as a teacher, scholar
and administrator.
My experience in Ripon’s theatre
productions led to my first job after
graduation, as an actor at Door County’s
Theater in the Garden (Peninsula Players)
and a brief but exciting period as an actor.

I was the editor of “College Days,” and
that experience enabled me to become the
newspaper editor at McChord Air Force
Base in Tacoma, Wash., when I joined the
Air Force. Although the military and I did
not really gel, I loved the job and it was an
excellent life experience for me.
I played football for two years, and
that experience gave me a sense of the
importance of teamwork and the true
value of how athletics should fit into the
academic sphere. At Ripon, the football
coaches always knew that, while athletics
were important, the mission of the College
was academic and studying for an exam
was more important than football practice.
It’s too bad that the big football schools
don’t have that same philosophy.
These are specifics, but the most
important thing about the Ripon experience
to me is the overall experience, quality
of education, the friends (with many of
whom I still correspond), the atmosphere
of intimacy that is lost at big universities.
I have held teaching positions at Fresno
State, Washington State and the University
of Texas at San Antonio (which now has
30,000 students), and if asked what would
I do if I went back in time and started
my higher education over again, I would
respond: RIPON COLLEGE!
John A. Stoler ’56
San Antonio, Texas

Leader of the feline
lovers … and counting
I have finally unearthed the things that live
on the bottom of piles on desks and found
the article about the alumni and their cats.
It is very evident that no one checked with
the cat woman – me – when writing the
article. When my husband, Alan ’78, and I
were in college, we opened a fortune cookie
that read “happy marriage and 19 children.”
Over the years, we have produced two
children and many cats. We began our
marriage with two cats, then three, then
the two children, then two gerbils, then
two bunnies, then one or two at a time,
more cats. We live in the country with a big
barn (where the cats are supposed to live)
and I swear that there is a cat underground
that says ‘if you are sick, pregnant, hungry,
lonely go to this place, they will take you in
and love you.’
After a while, it became apparent
that the fortune cookie was following us
because no matter the combination we
had two children and 17 animals. Now
that the children have managed to grow
up, somehow unscathed by all the fur, it
is just Alan and I rambling around our big
old house and six acres. Plus the 19 cats!
You can always tell when I’m in the yard
– there is a parade behind me, usually 11

or so little fur balls following me. It’s rather
amusing when I go for a walk. I always
have a companion or two; and when I’m
gardening, there is always a garden cat of
the day.
So, you see my surprise when I read
the article in the summer 2010 edition
of the Ripon Magazine titled “Felines are
the Cat’s Meow” and I wasn’t included. I
think I trump most people’s cat collections,
which is OK. I could supply pictures of all
involved, but the moment I open the garage
door they swarm me thinking it’s feeding
time.
Susan Higby Hodkiewicz ’77
Columbus, Wis.

Spencer Tracy still
casts a spell
Enjoyed reading the Alumni News (online
alumni newsletter). Seeing a picture of
Dr. (David) Joyce along with the Tracy
clan brought back some memories for me
that I thought you might enjoy. In 1949,
when I was a freshman pledge at West Hall
(Alpha Phi Omega), there was a routine
that the active fraternity members made
us perform whenever we came into the
Chapter Lounge room where there was
a large framed picture of Spencer Tracy.
Spencer had been a member of West Hall
when he was attending Ripon back in the
1920s. The routine was that we pledges
had to get on our knees in front of the
Spencer Tracy picture, bow three times and
on each bow repeat the phrase, “Spencer,
Spencer, Spencer, a friend is a person in
front of whom one may think aloud.” That
saying has stayed with me since graduating
from Ripon in 1953, and I apply that
today among my true friendships which I
developed during the years.
Marv “Spider” Prellberg ’53
Peachtree City, Ga.

When the 8.9-magnitude earthquake
struck off the northern coast of Japan
on March 11, it set off devastating
tsunamis, massive aftershocks, a
nuclear crisis and asbestos threats.
But Ripon alumni living in Japan
report the Japanese people are strong,
pulling together and setting their
sights on a hopeful, new future.
Eric Eguina ’06 lives in Tokyo,
where he is laboratory manager and
asbestos analyst at EFA Laboratories
Ltd. Because of his expertise, he has
been working almost non-stop – to
the point of exhaustion – since the
initial earthquake.
After the March 11 earthquake,
Eguina felt “fear and nausea,” he
says. “I have experienced several
earthquakes as a Californian, but
never so strong that I felt motion
sickness. It was as if the earth did not
stop shaking for 15 minutes, violently
at first but then slowly rocking.”
For the next 48 hours, there were
several hundred aftershocks. “The
stress was so intense the first two
nights that I crashed from exhaustion
and slept through the aftershocks,”

Eguina says. “When my sleeping
habits returned, my sensitivity to
aftershocks increased. I would wake
up in the middle of the night, chest
pounding, adrenalin pumping, when
any aftershock hit.”
Eguina says that asbestos can be a
major problem with earthquakes. The
fibrous material can be found inside
slate and wallboard broken up by the
tsunami and now being hauled away
in cleanup efforts. The cancer-causing
agents are being found in air and
debris throughout the disaster area.
EFA and Eguina have been offering
free asbestos testing and analysis to
emergency workers and residents. He
was in Sendai, Japan, April 7 to do air
monitoring for a law association that
specializes in housing.

“That evening, I was staying in a
hotel on the ninth floor,” Eguina says.
“We experienced one of the biggest
aftershocks – 7.4 magnitude. My
room was trashed. Everyone went
down to the lobby after the quake. I
was pretty tired, and my nerves were
on edge. I went back to my room to
grab a pillow and then headed back
to the lobby to sleep.
“We left the hotel at about 7 a.m.
to head back to Tokyo. I had to
analyze the air samples we took.
They came back positive. The data
we collected has kept the asbestos
issue circulating.”
Eguina returned to Sendai April
21 and 22, doing more debris
inspections and presenting findings
to local and regional officials. The
Associated Press accompanied Eguina
April 22 and published photos and
a report.
“People here are amazing in their
calm and cooperation with each
other,” Eguina says. “We are all
scared but don’t allow the fear to
control us. We have maintained our
sense of community to one another.”

Ripon Extra:
ripon.edu/eguina

4

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RIPON College

On April 7, Eric Eguina does air
sampling in the devastated area
of Japan. In the background
is a fallen building built with
asbestos containing corrugated
cement boards.

John McCullough ’07 of Soka,
Japan, agrees. “The Japanese people
are no strangers to these types of
problems, and they took it well,” he
says. “No riots, no looting and littleto-no violence. Stores remained open
for people to get their supplies, and
everyone put on a brave face through
the following earthquakes. So, spirits
are high. Of course we are shook up,
but everyone wants to move forward
as soon as possible.”
Soka is located inland, in the
Kanto region. When the March 11
quake hit, McCullough had just
released his preschool students to
their parents and gone to a store. He
felt a dizzy sensation, then things
began to shake.
“This is normal and it wasn’t my
first earthquake here, so people
waited a second for it to stop but
then things began to violently
shake,” he says. “So people began to
walk to the exit, but then it shook
even harder so the walking became
running. I pushed my way past
people to get to my school, where
thankfully everyone was OK.”
An effect of all the aftershocks,
he said, is that “our balance always
seems off, and we can’t trust our
judgment anymore when it comes to
aftershocks. Even the mere thought
of an aftershock and it feels like
the ground is moving. We have
developed tricks like watching a
water bottle to see that it’s steady.
(At that time) it’s plus 600 additional
earthquakes and aftershocks we’ve
been through.
“Also, the earthquake warning
sirens have gone off for what seems

like forever. The system works
quite well, but it has become a bit
maddening to hear this siren go
off and to know it’s coming again.
It gives you seconds to prepare
yourself, and then everything starts
to shake. When they come one after
the other, it becomes a bit taxing on
the body.”
As thousands of foreigners fled
Japan, McCullough says, “I was
lucky enough to be surrounded by
level-headed people and motivated
individuals who wanted to get Japan
working again in our own small
ways.”
He did volunteer work around
Tokyo because work in the
devastated area was earlier restricted
to military personnel. He also
established a Facebook site, Sendai
Earthquake Relief Networking, to list
volunteer opportunities and how to
donate food and funds.
The volunteer group Peaceboat
accepted him for a relief trip to the
devastated area, largely because
of his disaster work with other
Ripon students in New Orleans
after Hurricane Katrina. The relief
trip ran April 29 through May 7 in
Ishinomaki, a city outside of Sendai
in Miyagi prefecture.
“We had to bring up our own
supply of water, food and camping
gear as the area is still in a bad
situation,” McCullough says. “Which
made for very, very heavy bags.
They advised us to pack two liters
of water for every day, and you can
work out how heavy that was for us.
On top of that, professional cleaning
gear (including leather gloves for

In this area of Ishinomaki, there were fish
processing plants that held fresh and frozen
fish. When the tsunami knocked them out,
tons upon tons of these fish were poured
into the city. John McCullough helped
clean up here more than a month after the
disaster. “The fish were quite ripe and nature
has had its way with them, so to speak. The
smells were beyond terrible,” he says.

John McCullough and his colleagues clean
the inside of a theater. Their protective gear
is quite important as the mud they were
cleaning and the surrounding air is toxic.

SUMMER 2011

|

5

COVER STORY
Below, left: John
McCullough rides on the
back of a truck after
delivering toxic fish to
a port area. “This is
an area we didn’t want
to stay in long due to
the possibility of a new
quake/tsunami hitting
us,” he says. “We were
feeling aftershocks
every now and then,
so it was fresh on our
minds.” Below, right:
Japanese locals and
city officials were happy
to see the volunteers.
The coordinator of John
McCullough’s volunteer
group told them it was
only weeks ago that the
world had seemed bleak
to them, but the arrival
of volunteers gave them
new hope and strength
to renew their town.
Above, right: Junichi
“Jay” Sasahara ’80 in
front of a damaged
phone booth in his
neighborhood.

Sendai
Earthquake
Relief
Networking

6

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RIPON College

2011
handling glass, metal insoles for our boots,
helmet, etc.), $50 for the bus ride, which
all added up quite quickly. Made for the
most expensive volunteering trip ever for
most of us.”
McCullough says the smell in
Ishinomaki “was a whole new level of
bad. Between the toxic mud we worked
in, the rotting fish everywhere, and the
other things that I will not mention, it made
for a terrible ordeal. And there were children
out playing in this as well.”
People here had had a dim outlook on life,
but the arrival of the volunteers changed
attitudes, he says.
Junichi “Jay” Sasahara ’80 spent the
1977-78 year at Ripon. He now lives in
Urayasu City, Chiba prefecture, and also
expresses gratitude for the assistance Japan
is receiving.
“It is a critical period for Japan to rebuild
the Tohoku area and revive factories that
supply parts and products all over the
world,” he says. “Agriculture is damaged not
only by earthquake but also by rumor of
radioactive pollution. Consumption is not
strong enough yet because Japanese hesitate
to behave as happy as we were in face of

disasters
in Tohoku. However,
we are confident that we will make a
miracle to rebuild the country.
“We know that the whole world is
supporting Japan and those who suffer from
the disaster. We know that Americans and
friends in the world not only send food, cash
and necessities, but also send people to look
for survivors in the rubble. Sendai Airport,
swallowed by the tsunami, is now open
because American soldiers spent days and
nights to clear mud and debris. We feel that
your thoughts are with us. We appreciate
very much your warm-hearted support.”
Sasahara says his neighborhood has
sustained severe infrastructure damage.
“Water and gas supply was cut because
liquefaction damaged water, gas and sewage

pipes under the ground,” he says.
“Utility poles were tilted due to
elevated ground. For the first time
in my life, I had the experience of
lining up to receive drinking water
from water supply trucks for a week.
“My family was lucky because it
lasted only for a week, but thousands
of households did this for four
weeks after the earthquake. My wife
and I went to a nearby junior high
school’s swimming pool to receive
non-drinking water to be used to
flush the toilet. We learned how
to conserve water and energy by
necessity.”
He says the current electric supply
is not enough to keep up with
energy demands. Although there
was not much physical damage in
Tokyo, electricity saving has changed
the way people live. “We realize now
how much energy we wasted before
the earthquake,” Sasahara says.

Wes Shemanski ’06
of Milwaukee, Wis.,
who visited Osaka,
Japan, from Dec. 27
to Jan. 7, is relieved to
know friends there are
safe. He visited Japan to see Robert
Waddelow ’06, who teaches English
on a small island near Hiroshima.
“It was very emotional when I
first heard about the disasters,”
Shemanski says. “I immediately
thought of the friends I had over
there and quickly contacted them
via Facebook to make sure they
were alright. I felt horrible for the
people suffering, as my time in Japan
showed me how good a people the
Japanese are. This disaster really
shows how small the world is and
how interconnected we, as humans,
really are.” b

John McCullough says the best part of the
volunteers’ day was getting the power hose.
“All of the toxic mud had to go before we
got on our buses back to camp,” he says.
“Unfortunately, the odor stuck around. It
was nice to get your head wet, as well.”

Ripon Extra:
Mat Luebbers ’81 is a
swim instructor and
head swim coach at
Semper Fitness Aquatics
on the Marine
base in Okinawa.
Read his story at:
ripon.edu/luebbers

A story about Jimmy
Niescier ’14, whose parents,
John and Carol Niescier, live on
Yokota Air Force Base in Fussa,
Japan, can be found at: ripon.
edu/niescier

SUMMER 2011

|

7

Always for
B ill Neill is retiring, but R ipon
remains forever in his heart

W

hen Bill Neill ’67 first came to
check out the Ripon College
campus, it was on the referral of a friend,
Scott Jones ’54. They spent a day with
Jones’ mentor, Professor of Philosophy
William Tyree, ate lunch together in the
newly completed Pickard Commons and
toured the campus.
“I liked the liberal arts and the residential
campus,” Neill says. “It was very personal.
To spend time with a full professor like Bill
Tyree I thought was fantastic. Ripon went
to the top of my list.”
Neill went through ROTC at Ripon and
met his wife, Judy Wilkinson Neill ’68,
here. After graduation, he spent two years
at Fort Eustis near Williamsburg, Va., a
year in Vietnam, and two years in retail
sales in Florida. He also spent 26 years in
the U.S. Army Reserves and retired as a
lieutenant colonel, serving last in California
during Desert Storm.
While still living in Florida, the Neills
attended an alumni event there, and “it was
like bringing the campus right back to us,”
he says.
A development opening noted in the
8

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RIPON College

College magazine for the director of the
annual giving program spurred the couple’s
interest in returning. They had been
seeking a small environment like Ripon to
raise a family, and “What could be better
than Ripon itself?” Neill asked.
They thought they’d give the adventure a
five-year shot, he says. Just a few months after
coming back to Ripon, he moved to alumni
director (for 12 years), then to director of
charitable gift planning for 24 years.
Many alumni speak about the
enthusiasm Neill generates for Ripon and
gifts to the College.
John Ryberg ’67 of Atlanta, Ga., lived
across the hall from Neill in Scott Hall
while they were attending Ripon, but their
relationship solidified years later. After
buying a house in Roswell, Ga., Ryberg
discovered his next-door neighbors were
Neill’s brother and sister-in-law.
After that, Neill always made it a point
to touch base when he was in town and
to keep Ryberg apprised of classmates and
Ripon news. Several years ago, Ryberg
joined the college’s Alumni Board.

“One of the things Bill helped me
appreciate is Partners in the Legacy,” Ryberg
says, “and realizing how little it would hurt
me but how much it would mean to Ripon.
I don’t have to give up money now, just put
a percentage in my will.
“My appreciation of Bill is as a guy whose
heart and soul is always with Ripon. He
always makes you think about the College.
The beauty of Bill’s low-key approach
is that he helps ingratiate a feeling of
benevolence for the College. He helps
to remind people of how much we have
benefited by the education we had received
at Ripon. That was huge to me.”
Rene Males ’54 of Hillsboro Beach, Fla.,
and Sam Dougan ’48 of Tucson, Ariz., agree.
“He’s a very loyal Ripon graduate and
very enthusiastic,” Males says. “It rubs off
on everybody. He was helpful in getting
(my planned giving) started and was so
enthusiastic that we couldn’t back out!”
Dougan adds, “We enjoyed sitting with
Bill talking about Ripon days in our
respective periods of time. He is pretty
effective at getting people to pledge support
to the College. He is very enthusiastic about

the Ripon area, he has received 37
the family for many years, and the
Ripon College and what it stands
strength of that relationship has resulted offers of full-time employment, partfor. That translated into being a very
time employment and volunteer
in a truly remarkable gift. What a
effective proponent for gift-giving and
opportunities.
wonderful legacy to nearly four decades
gift planning.”
“While it’s very flattering,” he says, “I
of quiet, but effective efforts on behalf
President David Joyce appreciates
plan to take the advice of a friend: stand
of Ripon College.”
what Neill has done for the College and
back for a year and see where I am and
Through the years, Neill has traveled
for himself, personally.
what Judy and I want to do.”
a great deal for Ripon, has had one-on“Bill Neill has more than 30 years of
He wants to leave his calendar open
one conversations with countless alumni
working experience at Ripon College
so that he can get to projects he’s never
and friends, and has become a walking
and an unrivaled devotion to it,” Joyce
gotten around to; spend more time with
says. “He drives a red Prius with ‘RIPON’ encyclopedia about the Ripon family,
organizations he cares about like the
vanity plates. Everything he owns, wears past and present. Several years ago, he
Kiwanis, Ripon Main Street, Boy Scouts
started replacing “regards” or “sincerely”
and adorns the walls of his office with
and the Ripon Historical Society; and
at the end of his correspondence with
either says ‘Ripon College’ or is Ripon
be able to respond to a beautiful day
“Always for Ripon.” It’s a personal
red. Bill knows, and actually has helped
by taking a hike
to create, much of
“It really is something you get into your blood.
in South Woods
the College’s rich
history. He has a
You have to think about different ways we can help or going sailing on
Green Lake.
‘steel trap’ memory
move
the
College
forward.
All
those
things
add
up.
Neill started
and knows almost
Always
for
Ripon;
all
ways
for
Ripon.”
crewing for sailors
everyone who
when he was about
spent time on this
8 years old and later taught sailing at a
philosophy for him, and something by
marvelous campus.”
Scout camp.
which he’s come to be known.
When Joyce began his presidency at
“Every year we’ve tried to find time
“Some people write back, ‘Dear Always
Ripon in 2003, he asked Neill to serve
for Ripon,’ ” he says. “They’re getting the for a sailing holiday, but there was never
in his office as a special assistant. “I
point. I just feel that way about it. It’s not really enough,” he says. “Many years,
asked Bill to … advise, guide and steer
something you just do 9 to 5 or that you because of work, I missed some really
me clear of the potential land mines
can just turn on and off. It’s always got to nice days at Green Lake. I’m going to fix
as we crafted the next chapter in the
that this summer.”
be there.
history of Ripon College. He served
He never has regretted not taking a
“We are helping Ripon continue to be
with distinction and, once I became
different career path.
the kind of College we’ve all come to
acclimated to my new campus, he
“Being a part of Ripon College
eventually returned to the role for which expect. Ripon offers to a select number
and the Ripon community has been
of students a very special educational
he is most suited: director of Charitable
very special,” Neill says. “It really is
experience that includes not just the
and Planned Giving,” says Joyce.
academic but an education that will keep something you get into your blood. You
“Bill’s legacy will be felt for decades to
have to think about different ways we
them learning the rest of their lives. It’s
come as the estate and gifts he helped
can help move the College forward. All
not just how I sign my correspondence;
establish continue to underwrite our
those things add up. Always for Ripon;
it’s how I feel about the College.”
mission. It is apropos that we recently
all ways for Ripon.” b
Neill will retire June 30 at the end
received a generous gift which will
of the academic year. As testament
approach $3 million once it has been
to the impact he has had around
completely settled. Bill worked with
SUMMER 2011

|

9

C OCVOEVRE SR TSOt oRr y
Y

2011

“A larger purpose of liberal education is to develop in our students an
ethical sensibility,” President David C. Joyce said at Commencement
May 15. “Doing this is crucial to our contribution to the greater social
good and to the development of responsible citizens.”

2011:

AClass Act
“Ethics” was the theme as
Commencement was held under
clear and cool skies as Joyce
challenged the graduates to make
the world a more positive and better
place. He said it is inevitable that
the graduates, in their personal and
professional lives, will face difficult
questions, be required to make hard
choices and to take action based on
those choices.
“Ripon graduates will be asked
to discern correct paths when none
may appear clear, and to make
right choices amid complexity and
ambiguity,” he said. “More than
that, they will, over the course of
time, observe and be exposed to the
choices of others, which they will, in

6

|10 R| I PROI NP OCNo l Cl eogl el e g e

turn, be required to evaluate using
knowledge and perspectives that
combine their education with their
experiences and their values.”
Honorary degree recipient and
commencement speaker Kenneth
R. Feinberg expanded on these
thoughts. Feinberg has been key
to resolving many of our nation’s
most challenging and widely known
disputes, including administering
the 9/11 Fund and, currently,
administering the $20 billion fund
for claims following the 2010 BP oil
spill in the Gulf of Mexico.
“In my chosen profession – the
law – and, especially, when it comes
to the various assignments I have
accepted over the past decades,

I confront ethical dilemmas
every day,” Feinberg said. In
compensating victims of tragedies,
it is a time-honored principle in
American law to compensate more
for those who earn more, he said.
And while some victims of recent
tragedies have been generously
compensated, others have received
nothing at all.
“What is life worth? And why
should some victims receive more
money than others?” he asked.
“These are not easy issues, and
there are no easy answers. What is
important is that we appreciate the
underlying subject of ethics in the
work that we do.”
He offered the graduates a valuable

TWO HAPPY GRADUATES
Allison Jensen, left, of Appleton,
Wis., and Kylie Ainslie of Decatur,
Ga., received their diplomas at a
second Commencement ceremony
held that evening at the home of
Michele Wittler, associate dean of
faculty and registrar, and George
“Skip” Wittler, professor of biology.
The pair missed the daytime
ceremony because they were
playing with Ripon’s softball team
at the NCAA regional tournament
hosted by the University of
Wisconsin-Eau Claire. The Red
Hawks won three games to advance
to the semi-finals before taking
their second of two losses to the
University of St. Thomas.

Hannah Miller enjoys
Commencement Day
SUMMER 2011

|

11

Jason Smith

Inga Johnson

Yuliya Zhosan leaps into the arms of her
husband, Assistant Professor of Business and
Economics Dmytro “Dima” Zhosan, after he
presented the diploma to his wife.

“I hope you will fulfill your own individual dreams. Do not be defeated by
temporary setbacks, do not shirk from seeking your life’s goal, and do not
lose heart. You are our future – and the future is now! Bask in the glory of
what you have accomplished – and get ready for tomorrow.”

Ripon Extra:
For more photos,
commencement speeches and
audio of the ceremony, visit
ripon.edu/commencement

12

|

RIPON College

lesson he has learned: “Take nothing
for granted. Yes, take full advantage
of what you have achieved. You have
earned a head start in life. But do
not assume that your Ripon degree
guarantees future success. It is not an
insurance policy. Life is often unfair;
the most carefully drawn plans can
be altered in an instant.”
He said ethical dilemmas often
force a choice between the easy,
convenient route and the correct
path. “Beware of shortcuts that
undermine your individual integrity
and sense of self. Remember
Ripon College, what it stands for,
and today’s featured topic of ethics.
“I hope you will fulfill your

own individual dreams. Do not
be defeated by temporary setbacks,
do not shirk from seeking your life’s
goal, and do not lose heart. You
are our future – and the future is
now! Bask in the glory of what you
have accomplished – and get ready
for tomorrow.”
Other honorees were Harold Tafler
Shapiro, president emeritus and
professor of economics and public
affairs at Princeton University, who
received an honorary doctorate of
humane letters degree; and Douglas
P. Debroux, mathematics teacher
at Oregon (Wis.) High School,
who received the Distinguished
Educator Award. b

Geannine Griffith Harris, originally in the Class
of 1985, left Ripon just before graduation. She
worked for United Airlines for more than 20 years,
and came back to Ripon this year to receive
her diploma and bring personal and educational
closure to this area of her life.

Senior Class Speaker
Garrison McMurtrey

Kate Horkan

The German

Connection
T

he graduating class of 2011
includes two German students
who knew each other in Germany.
Martin Esters is from Toenisvorst,
and Jana Beyer is from Meerbusch.
Both towns are close to Duesseldorf,
the capital city of the German state
North Rhein-Westphalia at the
Rhine River.
Esters attended St. John’s
Northwestern Military Academy in
Delafield, Wis., and was recruited to
play basketball at Ripon by Coach
Bob Gillespie.
Beyer says, “I always wanted to
study abroad after my high school
graduation, and Ripon happened

to be my boyfriend’s, now fiancé’s,
choice. The winter prior to my move
to the United States, I visited him at
Ripon College and really liked it. So
I decided to come here, too.”
Esters plans to be a college
basketball coach in the United
States and feels his Ripon education
will be an asset.
“I think it will help me a
lot because I have a different
perspective on a lot of things
now,” he says. “The liberal arts
education has definitely helped
to broaden my horizon, and this
caring environment has made
me a better person.”

Jana Beyer is from
Meerbusch, and
Martin Esters is
from Toenisvorst.

Beyer agrees. “Even though I
believe my high school education
in Germany already introduced me
to many different fields of study,
I really enjoyed the liberal arts
education here and that I was able to
take classes outside of my majors to
keep exploring myself and broaden
my knowledge,” she says. “Also, by
studying in a different country, I
am now fluent in two languages …
and experienced life in a different
culture, which helps me to better
understand the world as a whole.”
Profiles of other Germans in the
Ripon family can be found on pages
20 and 27. b
SUMMER 2011

am Sondalle ’11 grew up in Princeton, Wis., just 14
miles from Ripon. He is a first-generation student,
the first in his close-knit family to attend college. Now
the graduating senior with a ready smile is headed
for Yale University in New Haven, Conn., for medical
school. He talks fast, moves fast and has sought out every
opportunity Ripon offers to move him on his way.
He is ambitious and has a clear sense of direction. “I
have always loved learning,” he says. “I’ve always wanted
to be a doctor.”
Almost all of Sam’s extended family live in the small
towns surrounding Ripon. His father, Scott, is a tool and
die maker, and his mother, Natalie, works for Blue Cross
Blue Shield in Fond du Lac. Both encouraged Sam and
his sister, Lydia, to aim for higher education.
“From the moment we were born, they had the idea in
their heads that we would be going to college,” he says.
“Mom had several offers, and her biggest regret is not
going to college. They knew the opportunities it would
open up for us and allow us anything we wanted. They
didn’t want us to have that regret.”
At first, Sam had the common thought of getting
far away when he went off to college. But in his own
backyard, he discovered Ripon on a visit during his
junior year in high school. He asked a lot of questions
and met instructors like Masanori Iimura, assistant
professor of chemistry.
“He was so down-to-earth, personable and very
intelligent,” Sam says. “It resonated with me the whole
time I was thinking about where to go to school. It was
the final decision factor in coming to Ripon.”
Ripon Extra:
Video Interview:
ripon.edu/sondalle

Sam’s YouTube
Page: ripon.edu/
sondasam
14

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RIPON College

He has attended Ripon on a full-tuition Pickard
Scholarship, which allowed him to focus on academics.
His early ambition was to be a dentist or medical doctor,
but he now is planning to become a surgeon and a
researcher specializing in congenital cardiac defects and
cardiac tissue regeneration.
He says the personal attention he received as a student
at Ripon has facilitated his professional development.
“A perfect example is always having projects where
you have a topic and really research it,” he says.
“Professors always want you to do something you’re
interested in, and they know what you’re interested in.
They know how to push you and pull you toward your
goals. I love the fact that if I am in an academic building,
I can walk into their offices, sit down and talk to them
about my life. ‘How was break?’ ‘How are your kids?’ -personal stuff. They’re friends, not just professors.”
Sam has developed a diverse research background. He
has worked with Professor of Chemistry Colleen Byron
on researching an enzyme involved
with the metabolism of
fats, and with other
professors on grant
proposals. In the
summer between his
sophomore and junior
years, he worked
with Brian Frey ’91
at the University of
Wisconsin-Madison
on how to better
analyze the structure of
proteins.

Associate Professor of Biology
Mark Kainz, right, explains to Sam
Sondalle how to interpret a test to
tell if a bacterium has an absolute
requirement for oxygen or can live
with or without oxygen.

Last summer, he worked at the
Harvard Stem Cell Institute studying
cardiac development in zebrafish.
A paper about that work has been
published in the prestigious “Nature”
magazine and can be viewed on its
website: ripon.edu/nature
Last year, Sam received a Barry
M. Goldwater Scholarship, a
highly competitive undergraduate
scholarship for sophomores and
juniors studying math, science and
physics.
The diversity of a liberal arts
education also has left its mark
on Sam. He continued his study
of Spanish that he started in high
school, and has expanded his
musical studies. Sam has played
piano since he was 7 years old and
started taking organ lessons during
high school.
“I fell in love with it,” he says.
“Organ is more complicated with
having to use your feet and hands
at the same time. I love playing the
organ.”
He has studied with Professor
of Music Sarah Hughes Kraaz.
Last May, he spent a two-week
Maymester in Spain. At Madrid
Cathedral, across from the royal
palace, he asked to watch the
organist play during Mass. Noting
Sam’s infectious interest, the organist
asked him if he’d like to play.
“He was asking to me to sit

down and play in the middle of
Mass!” Sam says, still with a touch of
disbelief. “I was very, very nervous.
I sat down at the organ bench and
played at the offertory. I played at
one of music’s major cathedrals
during Mass. Luckily, I’ve never
sight-read better in my life. I’d never
been out of the country before. It
was a bunch of firsts and definitely
the best two weeks of my life.”
Sam says the arts and his other
cultural activities keep his life
balanced with his scientific pursuits.
“If I focus on one thing only, I
feel burned out,” he says. “It’s nice
to have something to go to. It’s a
great stress relief. I’ll always continue
playing the organ. It gives me that
outlet and also makes other people
happy using one of my talents.”
After another visit to Spain
this summer, Sam will start in the
Yale School of Medicine’s medical
scientist training program this fall to
work toward both a medical doctor
degree and a degree as a research
doctor. Only 12 students were
accepted for the program, and all of
Sam’s tuition will be covered.

“I wouldn’t have predicted where
I am now,” he says. “I’m still kind
of in shock about all of this. It was
a lot of hard work on my part, but
also networking through Ripon and
recommendations from professors.”
Sam’s younger sister, Lydia, just
completed her first year at Ripon.
A cousin will start at Ripon in the
fall, and another cousin has told
her sixth-grade teacher about her
ambitions to attend Ripon and then
Yale, just like Sam.
“I’m starting a kind of legacy
here,” he says. “It’s kind of cool. My
coming here has made my sister less
afraid to go and grab for things. She’s
immersing herself in Ripon, too, but
in her own way.
“I’m a go-and-get-’em kind of
person. The opportunities are there.
I think a lot of people neglect to
notice them or neglect to look for
things. I look for things, and if I
think I’ll like them I’ll try them. And
if I find I like them, I keep doing
them. If you like them, you’ll going
to excel. Find what you like and go
with it. Don’t be passive.” b
SSUUM
MM
MEERR 22001111

||

15

S P O R T S 2011
COVER STORY

2011

G i l l es p i e Legacy

eNHANCED
BY new
generatio n

Home, sweet home.

N

ever has that held more true
than for Ripon College Head
Basketball Coach Bob Gillespie and
his son, Red Hawks point guard Scott
Gillespie. A fourth-team All-State
selection at Ripon High School and
that school’s career scoring leader,
Scott had college coaches from all
divisions knocking down his door
to play basketball for them. In the
end, though, he needed to look only
down the hallway to see for whom he
would play at the next level.
“When I first decided to come
to Ripon College, I was a little
disappointed that I didn’t get to play
at a Division I school,” Scott says.
“But now that the four years are over,
I’m thrilled with everything my dad
and I have been able to experience.
In addition to that, the education I
received at Ripon can’t compare to
any other school in the country.”

16

|

RIPON College

Scott gaduated in May with
a degree in communication. His
experiences at Ripon College include
a laundry list of accomplishments
that left an enormous dent on the
College’s record book, including a
Ripon record of 602 assists.
Bob – who won 49 games in
Scott’s four years of leading the
team, giving him 496 victories for
his career – says, “I think the assist
record will be hard to break because
he broke it by 103 assists, which is a
season’s worth for most players. It’s
easier to find a great scorer than to
find a guy who’s going to spread the
ball around and record that many
assists.”
Scott’s career culminated during
his senior season, as he was the
only player to rank in the top 10 in
the Midwest Conference in scoring,
assists and steals. That helped him

win the MWC Player of the Year
award, marking just the fifth time a
Ripon player has earned that honor
in Bob’s 31 years as head coach. In
addition to that, Scott was named
to the All-Region team for the third
time in his career, became the fourth
player in school history to earn AllAmerican honors, earning a spot on
the second team; and was named
as one of 10 finalists for the Jostens
Trophy, given to the top player in
Division III basketball.
“We were both surprised when
he was named as a finalist for the
Jostens Trophy because the players
that get recognized for that award
are usually on teams that go far in
the NCAA Tournament,” Bob said.
“When you look at his résumé,
though, it’s a page long, so I think
Scott’s reputation throughout the
Midwest helped him receive a lot of

2010-11
those post-season awards.”
As great as Scott’s career ended, it
wasn’t for lack of bumps along the
way. He started all 93 games as a
Red Hawk, but early on, he was able
to get by on raw athleticism more
than anything else.
“My first year here, I just tried
to score all the time and didn’t
necessarily grasp all of the offensive
and defensive strategies that were
being taught,” Scott said. “The
more I played, though, the more
my court awareness and knowledge
improved. The last few years, I’ve
been able to both make plays by
myself and by getting my teammates
involved.”
Bob echoed those sentiments and
was able to watch Scott’s growth
from the best seat in the house, right
on the bench.
“I didn’t know what to expect the
first year Scott was on the team,
and it was hard at times because
I sometimes wasn’t realistic in my
expectations,” Bob said. “Each
year Scott played here, he got
progressively better as a player, and
the last three years have been as
good as they could possibly be. He
was a very good player when he first
came here, but I think he’s leaving as
the best point guard in Division III.” b
By Mike Westemeier
Sports Information Director
Ripon Extra:
ripon.edu/gillespie

Winter and Spring
Sports Highlights

� TRACK AND FIELD: Sophomore Cory Zimmerman and freshman Derek
Nelson each qualified and competed at the NCAA Division III National Meet in
the 800-meter run and the 400-meter hurdles, respectively. Zimmerman finished
11th, and Nelson placed 15th. Zimmerman also was named MWC Track Performer
of the Meet at the MWC Championships, and Head Coach Robert Duley was
named MWC Men’s Track & Field Coach of the Year.

� SOFTBALL: Won second MWC Championship and first-ever NCAA Regional
games, finishing third in the eight-team Eau Claire, Wis., regional with three
victories. Sophomore Stephanie Rieuwpassa broke single-season school
records for doubles (14) and strikeouts by a pitcher (158). She was named to
the All-Region Second Team and was the MWC North Pitcher of the Year.
� BASEBALL: Won second consecutive MWC Championship, (10th in 14 years).
Senior third baseman Nick Beaman was named to the All-Region First Team
and D3baseball.com’s Preseason All-American Second Team. Sophomore
centerfielder Taylor Koth was named to the Division III Central Region
Gold Glove Team. Senior Jason Wierschke was named MWC North
Pitcher of the Year, and senior rightfielder John Henrickson was named
MWC North Player of the Year.
� MEN’S BASKETBALL: Qualified for Midwest Conference Tournament for
second straight season. Junior Aris Wurtz was named to the All-Region
Third Team and Capital One Academic All-American First Team.
� WOMEN’S BASKETBALL: Senior Emily Meyer was named to the MWC AllConference team for her third time.

SUMMER 2011

|

17

CLASS

Notes

The 1940s

Joan Hurley Van Zoeren ’53, also is a supporter
of the College.

Irene Gelhar Hochrein ’41 of

Berlin, Wis., writes: “Retired but active.
Married for 68 years. Still drive and play
bridge three times a week.”
John LaPotka ’42 of Madison, Wis., writes:
“Retired from the military in 1963. Served with
the 82nd Air Borne Regiment 2nd Air Borne
Brigade from D-Day till the 82 occupied Berlin.
Retired July 1963 as a lieutenant colonel, worked
in Mendota Hospital as a recreation counselor for
15 years, retired July 1978.”
Carol Maas Galginaitis ’44 of Pebble

Beach, Calif., writes: “I love living in Pebble
Beach. My favorite place is Carmel Beach at
the ocean, minutes away; also my big garden. I
have five children and 10 grandchildren. One
daughter, also named Carol Galginaitis, moved
to nearby Pacific Grove. I am still painting large
abstract oils for shows and exhibitions.”
Raymond H. McLeod ’44 of Lincoln, Neb.,
writes: “I now have seven great-grandchildren,
all living in Nebraska.”
Beth Tilden Beattie ’49 and her husband,

Frederic “Ted” Beattie, of St. Louis, Mo.,
will move into a retirement center in the fall of
2011. Beth still directs one bell choir, rings in
another and sings in her 80-voice church choir.
She says she and Ted were engaged during her
last two years at Ripon, “and in the Crimson
paper someone commented that all I wanted for
Christmas was a Bare Teddy. We’re still laughing
all these years later.” They celebrated their 62nd
wedding anniversary in June.

The 1950s

Jim H. Thayer ’54 of Oshkosh, Wis., writes:

“Just completed 20 years of retirement from
Speed Queen as a member of the domestic
laundry sales department with many different
leadership responsibilities. Accumulated one
million air miles, conducting 7,000 meetings
mostly in the United States, but did include
business pleasure trips to 49 states and many
free-world countries. For the last 10 years, have
been a docent at the EAA air museum. Have
been married to the same great lady, Phyllis, for
almost 57 years. Five children, 10 grandchildren
and three great-grandchildren.”
John Stoler ’56 of San Antonio, Texas,
retired in 2007 as professor of English and
associate dean after 38 years at the University of
Texas-San Antonio. He continues to teach one
upper-division or graduate course each semester.
On their eighth annual trip to Hawaii, he and
his wife, Linda, spent the night of May 11 on
a hilltop because of the tsunami. “Daily water
aerobics and teaching make semi-retirement a
joy,” John says.
Joan Anderson Bachus ’57 of Penn
Valley, Calif., writes: “I continue to play golf,
volunteer at The Empire Mine State Park
and enjoy my family. Oldest granddaughter
graduated from high school in June – doesn’t
seem possible.”
James E. Webster ’58 of Rio Verde, Ariz.,
is retired as an attorney with Solatin Billing
Grinner in Madison, Wis. He says he is enjoying
living in Arizona.
Pete Kasson ’59 of Stevens Point, Wis.,

Vilma Butcher Carlson ’51 of Tekonsh,

Mich., writes: “Touristing in a Mongolian ger for
two weeks without running water or electricity
was an adventure, proving one can live quite
adequately with a minimum of comforts! New
Zealand and Australia this September will be
‘civilized!’ ”

is retired as a professor at the University of
Wisconsin-Stevens Point; and Joyce Prout
Kasson ’61 is retired as a registered nurse from
St. Michael’s Hospital. They have three children,
two of whom graduated from Ripon College; and
four grandchildren.

RIPON College

Ken Luber ’60 of
Idyllwild, Calif., has a book
published, “Match to the
Heart: a novel of love, angels
and reincarnation,” by Dog Ear
Publishing. It tells the story of a
low-life drug dealer as he
struggles for redemption and
love. Information is available at the www.
matchtotheheart.com website or at Amazon.
com. Luber previously worked in the Los
Angeles film and television industry and now
focuses on novels, teaching and travel.
Karen A. Carlson ’61 of Novato, Calif.,
retired in 2000 after 20 years with Fireman’s
Fund Insurance Co. She since has worked in
circulation with the Belvedere Tiburon Library
– “a peach of a job!” she says. Yearly, she travels
out of the country with her sister from Chicago.
“I’ve remarked over and over, with travel, we
learn how blessed we are in the United States
with freedom,” Karen writes. “Having been a
newspaper woman in the 1980s, I learned early
on to reach beyond the headlines with questions
in these far–away countries. I’d love to hear from
classmates who plan to visit the San Francisco
Bay area. I’m minutes from the city, where I’ve
lived for more than 45 years.”
James C. Suomi ’61 of Branson West, Mo.,

writes: “Worked at Sears for 411/2 years, married
to Bonnie for 27 years. I have two children and
two grandchildren. Bonnie has three children
and five grandchildren. We live in Venice, Fla.,
during the winter for six months.”

Pam Pankey Drymiller ’62 of Bartlett,
Ill., is retired as a teacher from the Chicago
Public School System and is currently consulting
for the Department of College and Career
Planning for the school system. She took part in
the East/West Center for the University of Hawaii
teacher interchange program in 1966.

Charles Van Zoeren ’53

|

Patricia Baron Bressner ’60 of

Fountain Hills, Ariz., is now retired.

writes: “The motor home is gone, and we are in
The Villages, Fla. There is too much to do here.
I have started guitar lessons, taking classes at
the Lifelong Learning Center in cartooning and
religious studies.”

Obispo, Calif., writes: “Remember the laundry
cases from the 1950s? We used to send our
soiled clothing home to Mother in them, and
she’d return them to us all clean and freshly
ironed. What a deal!”

18

The 1960s

Robert G. Aikins ’62 of The Villages, Fla.,

Mary Lou Zender Latzer ’53 of San Luis

of Kalamazoo, Mich., has
written a book, “It Was a Good
Run: Recollections of a Lifetime
in Trucking 1941-2008.” It
details his employment with
Alvan Motor Freight, founded
by his father, Albert Van Zoeren. Van Zoeren
served on Ripon’s Board of Trustees for 30 years
and now is an honorary life trustee. His wife,

producing more than 30 nonprofit fund-raising
events all over the country. www.dmirisch.com
At a recent social event in San Diego, Mirisch,
top right, and his wife, Sandy, chatted with actor
Mickey Rooney and his wife, Jan.

David Mirisch ’59 of Carlsbad, Calif., is

the senior consultant for the San Diego Senior
Olympic Games. At 75, he still is involved in

THEODORA GREGG ‘62 of
Athens, Ohio, continuing her
“green” ways, has added solar
panels and a heat pump to her
house. With her younger son,
Jamie, she traveled in late
August and early September to
the Czech Republic, Vienna and
Sopron, Hungary. “We had a great trip, learned a
lot more about the history of the area, and had
lots of wonderful beer!” she says.
C. Richard “Dick” Johnson ’62 of Chicago
writes: “I retired in 2008 from the last of the big
law firms for which I worked (Foley & Lardner)
and have since then done the same work, by and
large as a sole practitioner with a home office.
Very nice.”
Jeve Chang Chang ’64 of Honolulu Oahu,
Hawaii, writes: “Retired from Kamehameha
Schools (KS) in 2008 as director of the extension
educational services division. Main job now is
taking care of husband with Alzheimer’s. Son,
Kale Chang, has taken over music endeavors
(emcee/vocalist Tihati shows in Waikiki; director
of Honolulu Boy Choir; recording studio). He
was recently on ‘Hawaii 5-0’ as Big Lono on
Valentine’s Day episode. Daughter, Kanoe, will
graduate this spring after having four boys, ages
2 to 8 years. She’s an entrepreneur in Polynesian

fashion design. I’m continuing with contracts
with KS as site supervisor for counseling interns
and editing products. 24-hour fitness, tennis and
ukulele round out my life.”
Harrison Ford ’64 of

Beverly Hills, Calif., an actor
and conservationist, joined
Pulitzer Prize-winning
environmentalist Edward “E.O.”
Wilson last fall in announcing a
new literary award. The first
$10,000 PEN/E.O. Wilson Literary Science
Writing Award, with funding by Ford and
Wilson, will be given this year by the PEN
American Center, a branch of the world’s oldest
international literary and human rights
organization. Its intent is to effect change in the
world by marrying the power of literature with
scientific information. Ford met Wilson when
both served on the board of the nonprofit
Conservation International, where Ford is
currently a vice chair of the board.
Mike Jerry ’64 of Green Bay, Wis., is retired
as an attorney/partner with Liebman, Conway,
Okejniczak & Jerry, S.C. He still is doing some
legal work.
Stephanie Schmahl Loehr ’64 of

Milwaukee, Wis., retired from the Milwaukee

Public Schools as a social worker in June 2005.
She has since been a clinical social worker with
Renew Counseling Service.
Lorna L. MacLeish ’64 of Mount Prospect,

Ill., retired in 2004 as a manager for Matkov,
Salzman, a labor relations law firm. She had
been with the company for 26 years. She now
volunteers for her church and works holidays
at a food bank distributing Christmas gifts to
children.
Richard L. Moschel ’64 of Sun City West,
Ariz., writes: “My wife and I are still substituteteaching. This year gives me 41 years in the
classroom. In August, my wife and I are taking a
European cruise down the Rhine River.
I still play softball two days a week.”
Sheila Stangel Christiansen ’65 of

Elm Grove, Wis., took a family trip to the World
Cup in South Africa in June 2010. Her son,
Douglas, coaches the Belfast Giants Hockey team
in Northern Ireland, and the family flew over
for a game between the Giants and the Boston
Bruins in Belfast in October. An article about the
game, “Peace, Love, Hockey,” was published in
the March 28, 2011, issue of “Sports Illustrated.”
Mark Thomas Ledger ’65 of Malvern,
Pa., semi-retired in 2007 as president of Aegis

Rich Srednicki ’ 73
When Trustee Rich Srednicki ’73 first came
to Ripon College, he wasn’t the traditional
college student. He had a job and started
college in night school before being drafted
to serve in Vietnam.
While overseas, he became friends with
Charlie Amelotte ’67 Kenosha, Wis. Amelotte
told Srednicki to check out his school –
Ripon College. Srednicki did, and eventually
was accepted to Ripon at the age of 22.
But just two weeks before classes were
to start, Srednicki received custody of his
teenage brother. David Harris, dean of
men, and Doc “Kermit” Weiske (longtime
head coach of basketball and honorary life
trustee at Ripon) together found Srednicki
two jobs and an apartment for he and his
brother to live.

“It was the best decision I ever made to
come,” Srednicki says. “I started feeling like
I’m coming home when I come back here.”
Srednicki studied economics and
psychology at Ripon, and participated
in forensics, theatre and Sigma Alpha
Epsilon fraternity. He went on to earn a
master’s of business administration degree
in marketing and finance and held several
major business positions before retiring
in 2007. Since 2006, he has served on the
Ripon College Board of Trustees.
“I think it’s important to give back if you
can so that Ripon is around for a couple of
hundred years,” Srednicki says. “It’s a good
investment of time.”

For the full story, see
the website at:
ripon.edu/srednicki

“It was the best decision
I ever made to come
[to Ripon]. “I started
feeling like I’m coming
home when I come
back here.”
Rich Srednicki

Realty Consultants. He says he likes to fish and
hunt and had a great 45th reunion last year. In his
free time, he is very active with nonprofits in the
urban sector, working in poverty and homeless
issues; as well as in environmental sustainability,
agriculture and habit protection.
Phil Nancarrow ’65 of
Houghton, Mich., writes:
“I was diagnosed in September
2010 with leukemia; treated at
University of Michigan Cancer
Center, Ann Arbor, with remission
in October; stem cell/bone
marrow transplant in November; remained in
Ann Arbor till May 2011 when I returned home.
Doing well so far, monitoring and checkup until
November 2012.”
Steve Peters ’65 of Marquette, Mich.,
writes: “Retired from my position as cataloger at
Olson Library, Northern Michigan University, and
was named professor emeritus of library science.
Now volunteer in the university archives and am
learning bridge.”
Janet K. Hollatz ’66 of West Allis, Wis.,

retired in June 2005 from Racine Unified Schools

as the school librarian. She had been with the
district for 32 years. She says she is enjoying
retirement.
Abby Carlstrom Humphrey ’66 of

Denver, Colo., retired July 1, 2010, after 16
years as a preschool/kindergarten director
with Montview Community Preschool. “Since
retirement, I have traveled to Egypt and Belize,”
Abby says. “My husband and I are avid scuba
divers. This coming school year, I will be
working part time as an independent consultant
with Denver Public Schools while continuing
many volunteer commitments and traveling as
often as possible.”
Lawrence J. Mahoney ’67 of
St. Anthony, Minn., started a
second company, Asia Direct
Resource, in 2004, with product
sourcing offices throughout Asia.
See www.asiadirectresource.com

Jim Reed ’67 of Chestnut Hill,
Mass., is president of the
Massachusetts Fulbright
Association in Boston (www.
massfulbright.org), and he has a
two-year state department

assignment to Pakistan to advise the Pakistan
University System.
Catherine M. Wagner ’67 of Sugar Land,

Texas, retired in December 2010 as a senior staff
analyst for the City of Houston Human Resources
Department after working for the city for more
than 22 years. “For right now, I’m just really
enjoying all my new free time, even more than I
thought I would,” she says.
Edgar Case III ’69 of Stafford, Texas,
writes: “I am now engaged in two different
activities. I am Man in the Mirror’s new field
network consultant for the state of Texas. Man
in the Mirror is a national men’s para-church
organization focused on training church leaders
to develop ‘sustainable’ men’s discipleship
programs. In addition, I am also a senior
associate at World Financial Group, whose focus
is to help middle class individuals and families
create and build wealth so they can secure their
financial future.”
Daniel J. Dykstra Jr. ’69 of Rohnert Park,

Calif., writes: “In 2010, I spent eight months in
Kabul, Afghanistan, doing contract work for the
Army Corps of Engineers. It was rewarding, but it
is good to be home.”

Ripon one stop on extraordinary journey
through trials of 20th century

L

udwig Franz Freund’s life took him through World
War I as a German soldier, on the lecture circuit
fighting anti-Semitism in Weimar Germany, to Ripon
College as a professor of sociology (1937-46) and into
the American military during World War II.
In 1898, Freund was born to a German-Jewish family
in the German town of Mühlheim. His aspirations for
higher learning were interrupted by World War I. After
the war, he studied at several universities and received a
doctorate in philosophy and sociology.
He lectured for the Centralverein (The Central Union
of German Citizens of Jewish Faith) and The National
League of Jewish Frontline Veterans. He also was editor
of a weekly newspaper and published two books.
Freund realized that with Hitler’s ascension to power,
further work fighting anti-Semitism could cost Freund
his life. In July 1934, Freund immigrated to the United

20

|

RIPON College

States and came to teach at
Ripon in 1937.
When the United States
entered World War II,
Freund felt compelled to
enter military service but
was not assigned to action.
By the spring of 1943,
Freund was back at Ripon,
teaching and giving
lectures around the Midwest.
He left Ripon for Roosevelt University in 1946.
He taught there for several years before returning to
Germany. He died in 1970. b

For the full story,
see the website at:
ripon.edu/freund

CLASS

NOTES

Dr. James Blair Thompson
’73 of Salem, Ore., had an

exhibition of his experimental
prints, “James B. Thompson:
The Visual Language of Ancient
Scotland” at The Orkney Museum
in Kirkwall, Scotland, last fall. He
previously exhibited the series
of prints in spring at Salem’s
Hallie Ford Museum of Art. Also
in 2010, Thompson had a solo
exhibition of mixed-media intaglio
prints, “James B. Thompson: Rats
of the British Aristocracy” at the
Francine Seders Gallery in Seattle,
Wash. “James B. Thompson: The Vanishing Landscape” is currently on
tour to selected museums and established venues in the American West.
Thompson’s work also was selected by curators for inclusion in the
touring exhibition, “Critical Messages: Contemporary Northwest Artists
on the Environment.” Thompson is a professor of art at Willamette
University, where he has been a member of the faculty since 1986.
More information is available at www.willamette.edu/~jthompso/

William Gebhardt ’69 of Frankfort, Ill., is
a sales manager at Schilling Brothers Lumber Co.

The 1970s
Frederic “Rick” Scott ’70

of Washington, D.C., was sworn
in May 10 as the new U.S.
Agency for International
Development (USAID) Mission
Director to Timor-Leste. Scott
now leads one of USAID’s newest
missions. An office was opened there in 2004 and
a full mission in 2010. The focus is improving
health services, education, civil society
development and economic growth.

is a mechanical engineer at the Science and Arts
Academy in Des Plaines, Ill.
Alfred Pach III ’74 of Summit, N.J., writes:

“I am continuing to coordinate socio-behavioral
research at the International Vaccine Institute in
Seoul, South Korea, though I live in New Jersey.
We provide information and assistance on
vaccines in developing countries. I am working
on projects on cholera in India and Zanzibar, and
typhoid fever in Zanzibar, Nepal and Pakistan.”

Michael J. Julka ’71

Mary Hughes Seger ’74 of Trafalgar, Ind.,

of Madison, Wis., has been
named “Madison Best Lawyers
Education Lawyer of the Year” for
2011 by Best Lawyers, the oldest
and most respected peer-review
publication in the legal

writes: “I have been employed at Eli Lilly & Co.
for 22 years as a clinical study statistician. I plan
to retire in a couple years to enjoy my grandkids.”

profession.
Ingo Angermeier ’72 of Spartanburg, S.C.,
has retired after 10 years as president and chief
executive officer of Spartanburg Regional, one of
the state’s largest hospitals. He plans to continue
consulting and helping Spartanburg Regional
with leadership development.

Susan Chapman Carlton ’75 of

Saint Charles, Ill., writes: “After 31 years
with The Nielsen Company (AC Nielsen
& Spectra), I have decided to retire. I will
undoubtedly pick up some contract work
eventually. What a great time to get reacquainted
with college friends. We are located one hour
west of Chicago. Come visit! susanjcarlton53@
yahoo.com.

Jondi Gumz ’75 of Scotts
Valley, Calif., was honored by
her local chapter of the Women’s
International League for Peace
and Freedom for her reporting
on local businesses for the Santa
Cruz Sentinel.
Larry Hollmaier ’75 of Loveland, Ohio, is

employed with Eastman Kodak in Dayton, Ohio,
and works with a team dedicated to the design of
new and innovative printing presses to keep up
with industry trends.
Susan Schreyer Stander ’75 of Paradise

Valley, Ariz., retired in January 2009 as a senior
health care consultant from Pfizer Labs after 32
years with the company. She helped to launch
blockbusters like Procardia XL, Norvasc, Lipitor,
Zithromax and Viagra. She and her husband,
Paul, travel around the United States, as well
as Ireland and England on a golf vacation. She
visits with fellow Bartlett Hall “sisters” Mary
Ellen Weis Doll ’75 and Martha Robbins
Anderson ’75 at least once a year. “Basically, I
love retirement, and my usual response to ‘what
do you do every day?’ is, ‘Whatever I want!’ Lest I
sound aimless, I also take care of my 94-year-old
mother, who lives with us.”

SUMMER 2011

|

21

CLASS

Notes
Steven J. Foelker ’80 of Mosinee, Wis.,
works in Team Spine representing Medtronic.
Jacqueline Harvey ’80 of
Saint Louis, Mo., a pediatrician
at People’s Health Centers,
Central Site, was listed as one of
the Best Doctors 2009-2010 in
the United States by the Best
Doctors Inc. She was featured in
the August edition of the St. Louis Magazine.
Harvey has been with PHC for 25 years.

ABOVE: Gary Lederer ’72 and Jean Kirkpatrick Lederer ’73 of Bonita
Springs, Fla., and St. Charles, Ill., along with daughter, Beth Lederer, have been jointly

named Friend of the Year by Marklund. The organization assists those with special
healthcare needs and developmental disabilities. Gary served on the board of directors
for many years, and Jean has been involved in fund-raising. “The Lederers are such a
great family and so involved,” a spokesman says. “A part of Marklund since 1991, they
are a perfect example of what is possible when a family makes a commitment to serve
others and makes it a priority in their lives. They are perfectly well-rounded givers,
donating selflessly of their time, treasure and talent throughout the year.” The Lederers’
son, Andrew, is a resident of Marklund.

Scott W. Tremberth ’75 of Henderson,
Nev., writes: “Enjoy life in Vegas and Green Lake
(summers). Grandkids are the best! Our family
has seven Ripon alumni and another bunch on
the way!”
Daniel V. Burk ’76 of Webster Groves, Mo.,

is a service group manager at RR Donnelley, the
largest printing company in North America.
Thomas Walter Klewin (Ret. Col.) ’76 of

Atlanta, Ga., has moved from Kigali, Rwanda, to
Atlanta, Ga.
Kitty Norton ’76 of Clemson, S.C., is a

senior registered client associate at Wells Fargo
Advisors LLC. “This year, I have participated in
the company’s Reading First literacy program
and have been adopted by a lovely class of
first-graders, to whom I read on a weekly basis,”
she says.
Mark A. Teslik ’76 of Portage, Wis., is an
Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA)
chaplain at Columbia Correctional Institution in
Portage. He is a board member of the Wisconsin
Chaplaincy Association representing correctional
chaplains.
Karl Loucks ’78 of Madison, Wis., works for
a large insurance firm.

22

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RIPON College

Eva Shaw Butler ’79 of Saint George,
Maine, writes that after 12 years of building the
Sacramento Splash Program, she announces its
birth as a new nonprofit dedicated to helping
children to understand and value their natural
world through scientific investigation and
outdoor exploration. Information is available at
www.sacsplash.org.
James F. Laufenburg ’79 of Alexandria,

Va., was selected as a 2011 recipient of Sigma
Chi Fraternity’s Significant Sig Award, the highest
recognition the international fraternity gives for
professional or civic achievement. He joins a
number of other military leaders, many lawyers
and judges and actor Brad Pitt in this year’s class.
Richard C. Ricklefs ’79 of Hanahan, S.C.,

is a service technician for AmeriGas.

Robert D. Schmitt ’79 of Whitefish Bay,
Wis., is now director of contracting at Physicians
Plus Insurance.

The 1980s
Lori Michels Adams ’80 of
Fredericksburg, Va., is the director of admissions
and financial aid at Fredericksburg Academy.

Phil Ouellette ’80 of
Madison, Wis., has been
promoted to president and
chief operating officer of
Lindsay Stone & Briggs (LSB),
a firm specializing in brand
launchings and revitalizations.
He joined the company in 2000 and became
senior vice president in 2006. While at LSB, he
co-founded and launched a digital gaming
company, Egencie.

Bill Quistorf (Maj., ret.)
’80 of Everett, Wash., is chief

pilot for the Snohomish County
Sheriff’s Office. He has been
elected chairman of the Seattle
Area Regional Aviation Group,
comprising King, Snohomish and Pierce counties
aviation assets along with the Washington State
Patrol Aviation section.
David J. Remondini ’80

of Indianapolis, Ind., was
appointed acting executive
director of the Indiana Board
of Law Examiners by the
Supreme Court, while a search
was conducted for a replacement.
In March, he was in Ukraine as a consultant for
USAID (United States Agency for International
Development) for his third trip in support of the
Rule of Law project, encouraging greater
transparency and accountability in the legal
system.
Dan Finkelstein ’81 of Troy,

Mich., has started DMF
Enterprises Inc., which sells
Mary-On-Board. The novelty
GPS product mimics the sounds
and language of a backseat driver.
By pressing a button, a variety of
instructions will be barked out, including “Stop
driving so fast!” and “Move over to the right
lane!” The website is: www.maryonboard.com. He
previously was in finance and IT project
management for 25 years. His wife, Mary, had a
kidney transplant 12 years ago, and $1 for every
Mary-on-Board unit sold will be donated to the
National Kidney Foundation.

Randall J. Garrity ’81 of Oneida, Wis.,

Michelle Ebert Witt ’88 of Union Grove,

writes: “OK, after almost 30 years, I guess it’s
time to drop a line. I’m the proud father of Katie
(15) and Gage (13). My wife, Judy, and I will be
celebrating 18 years of marriage this spring. I’m
a business entrepreneur and currently own three
automotive businesses.”

Wis., is an aide to an autistic child in the special
education department in Waterford.

Kent Timm ’81 of Saginaw, Mich., has been

appointed to the United State Soccer Federation
medical staff to support the Women’s National
Team at the Women’s World Cup in Germany in
June and July.
Richard J. Uhlemann ’81 of Minnetonka,

Minn., is a manager at Beckman Coulter Inc.
Robert L. Brandfass ’83 of Morgantown,

W.Va., has been appointed executive vice
president and general counsel of West
Penn Allegheny Health System (WPAHS) in
Pittsburgh, Pa. WPAHS is a $1.6 billion, fivehospital health system with more than 13,000
employees serving the health needs of western
Pennsylvania.

The 1990s
Nicole Balistreri Garcia ’90 of Yorba

Linda, Calif., now has a private practice as a
family physician at Doctors of California Integrative Wellness. She offers cosmetic procedures,
hormone replacement and nutritional therapies.
She is married with three children.
Lisa Indermuehle Bohovsky ’91 of
Hartford, Wis., is a systems analyst at Virtual
Benefits Administrator (VBA) in Germantown,
Wis.
Al Sorenson ’91 of Tinley
Park, Ill., exhibited sports
paintings at the Vogt Visual Arts
Center during April. He paints
sporting events, stadiums and
athletes. He features his artwork
at shows across the nation, has a

contract with Legendary Sports Prints and has
worked with other companies as well. He teaches
fifth-grade at Fulton Elementary School. His
website is: http://www.alsorensonart.com/index.
html
Willard J. Steinberg ’91 of Minneapolis,
Minn., writes: “I recently ended my work with
dualcurrency.com to allow others the space to
create the game-changing innovations needed to
build what an environmentally sustainable and
socially just global economy is calling for.”
Heather Dummer Combs ’92 of
Milwaukee, Wis.; Erin McCormack
’92 of Raleigh, N.C.; Naomi Robinson
Mechels ’92 of Minneapolis, Minn.; Heather
Hotchkiss Miner ’92 of Cottage Grove,
Minn.; and Deb Winter ’92 of Sun Prairie,
Wis., took a fall 2010 trip to Marathon in the
Florida keys “to watch the sunset over the sevenmile bridge and celebrate the ‘Four-O’ together.”

John Woodard ’84 of
Northville, Mich., is doing
Alzheimer’s research at Wayne
State University in Detroit, where
he is an associate professor of
psychology in the College of
Liberal Arts and Sciences and
Institute of Gerontology. He is
the lead author of “Predicting Cognitive Decline
in Healthy Older Adults Using fMRI,” published
in the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease (vol. 21, no.
3). He recently lead research that has identified
two tests which can predict with remarkable
accuracy which seniors are most likely to
experience the cognitive decline associated
with Alzheimer’s disease. An article about
Woodard and his research can be accessed at
http://www.betterbrainbetterlife.com/
memory-loss-doesnt-surprise/
Carol Wood Brooks ’85 of Cottonwood,
Ariz., is a psychologist at the Northern Arizona
VA Health Care Center.
Mark S. Jonas ’85 of Kaukauna, Wis., is an
English teacher and the head football coach with
the Ashwaubenon Schools.
Katherine Snow Doherty ’86 of South

Neb., has opened her own law office. Her main
areas of practice are social security, disability,
juvenile law, bankruptcy and some areas of
family law. Her business’ website is at www.
boydstonlaw.com

Eric Atkisson ’94 of Alexandria, Va., was promoted to lieutenant colonel
in December and is serving as public affairs officer for the 36th Infantry Division,
Texas Army National Guard, in Basrah, Iraq.
Above, he is shown at the Basrah Operations Center with his Iraqi counterparts
and an Iranian machine gun captured during the Iran-Iraq War. They are facing
east across the Shatt al-Arab (a river formed by the confluence of the Tigris and
Euphrates) toward Iran.

is an environmental scientist for the National
Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
(NOAA).
Brian Bousley ’94 of Crystal Falls, Mich., is
the county administrator for Menominee County.
Jennifer K. Dunn ’94 of Charlotte, N.C.,
is a pre-kindergarten assistant at Sacred Heart
School in Salisbury, N.C.
Blake Henry Hausladen ’94

of Chicago, Ill., had his first
novel, “Ghosts in the Yew,”
published in May. “At Ripon, I
learned how to tell tall tales,” he
says. Blake works as a consultant
to hedge funds and asset
management firms.
Ashleigh Kay Henrichs ’94 of Pleasant
Prairie, Wis., is the executive director of the
Kenosha Literacy Council. She is also the director
of children’s ministry at St. Mary’s Lutheran
Church.
Todd J. Johnson ’94 of Fort Belvoir, Va.,
was promoted to LTC (lieutenant colonel) Jan.
31, 2010, at the U.S. Capitol Dome. He deployed
Feb. 4, 2011, for a year in Afghanistan.
Christine R. Metzo ’94 and Gareth
John of St. Cloud, Minn., have a daughter,
Cerys Meriel Violet John, born Sept. 9, 2009.
Andrew S. Petersen ’94 of
Verona, Wis., is the vice presidentexternal affairs and corporate
communications for TDS
Telecommunications Corp. He also
is an officer of the company.

24

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RIPON College

John Ernser ’04 and
Emmy Foerster Ernser
’05 of Glendale Heights,

Ill., have a daughter,
Maielle Daveny Ernser, born
Sept. 4, 2010, at Edward
Hospital in Naperville, Ill.
One of the attending
physicians throughout the
pregnancy was Peter Weeks
’80 of Wheaton, Ill., and at
the seventh-month appointment they discovered they
were all Ripon graduates
after a conversation about a
Milwaukee Brewer hat John was wearing. Emmy works for Linden Oaks Hospital in Naperville,
and John is a middle school physical education/health teacher and athletic director at the
middle school in Schiller Park, Ill. John’s father is Martin “Marty” Ernser ’78, and
Marty’s father was Major John J. Ernser, an Army ROTC instructor in the early and
mid-1960s at Ripon College.

John S. Feeney ’95 of Ripon,
Wis., has been named the new
president and CEO of
Community Health Network
(CHN). He previously worked at
Aurora Health Care in Oshkosh
for the past 12 years.
Darell Hammond ’96 of
Washington, D.C., has written a
book, “KaBOOM!: How One Man
Built a Movement to Save Play.” It
is intended to help spread the
message about play deficit – today’s children spending less time
playing outdoors than any
previous generation – and the harm it’s causing
children. Hammond is founder and CEO of
KaBOOM!, which uses a new way to fund play
areas through public/private partnerships in an
era of decreasing government budgets and
philanthropic giving. The book quickly hit the
top 10 on Amazon.com and the New York Times
nonfiction best-seller list. On June 20, KaBOOM!
was featured on the “Today Show,” reported by
Jenna Bush Hager. It profiled KaBOOM!’s 15th
birthday, 2,000 playground builds and the new
book. More information about the book can be
found at Kaboom.org/book
SEJAL V. SHAH ‘96 of Hoffman
Estates, Ill., is president of both
TotalMed and Advanced
Workforce Inc. He started these
businesses in 2005 and 2006.
TotalMed specializes in placing
nurses, therapists and medical
professionals while Advanced
Workforce primarily places engineers and IT
professionals with their clients. The businesses

employ more than 150 professionals nationwide,
with corporate offices in Appleton, Wis., He
works with many Merriman (Phi Kappa Pi)
brothers from Ripon, including Jason Beck
’01, a TotalMed partner; Chad Morack ’00, an
Advanced Workforce partner; Jon Larsen ’09
and Mark Leupold ’09. Sejal married Ann
Worzella; and they have two sons, Deven and Sai.
Amy Tincher-Durik ’96 of Indianola, Iowa,

of Washington, D.C., is the vice
president of Strategic Telemetry, a
nonprofit organization dedicated
to providing individual-level
microtargeting, data analysis,
strategic consulting and other
services to help enable campaigns to successfully
reach their target audiences and have their
message heard. He also was involved with
Strategic Telemetry’s targeting efforts for the
Obama for America Presidential campaign.
Jeff Ehren ’97 and his wife, Denise, of

Whitewater, Wis., recently were featured in an
article in the Wisconsin State Journal. Both work
at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater, and
the article focuses on state budget squeezes on the
middle class.
Stephanie Bosman Fernhaber ’97 of
Bloomfield, Ind., is an assistant professor of
management at Butler University.

Jill A. Hempen-Anthony ’97 of San

Jose, Calif., has completed her master’s degree
in human resource management and has been
working for Yahoo! since September 2010 as a
senior human resource manager.

presidential campaign and other positions,
including a stint as Republican National
Committee’s press secretary.
Dante Houston ’01 of Milwaukee

married Jennifer Adam, Nov. 14, 2010.
Claire Hansen Robinson ’97 of Chelsea,
Mich., works at the VA Ann Arbor Healthcare
System, Department of Health Services, in
research and development.
W. Andrew Voigt ’97 of
Portage, Wis., a member of Ripon
College’s Alumni Board, has been
elected judge to serve in Branch 2
of the Columbia County Circuit
Court. He will serve a six-year
term. As the municipal attorney
for Portage, Voigt has prosecuted traffic and
ordinance citations in municipal court, attended
Common Council meetings and assisted the city
with legal issues.
Gail Halsey Bertram ’98 and her

is writing articles for the website examiner.com.
A recent article about “green” chemistry can be
found at http://www.examiner.com/sustainableagriculture-in-topeka/microalgae-a-truly-greensource-of-biofuels
Daniel Sterner ’99 of Shorewood, Wis., is

a graduate student in the School of Architecture
and Urban Planning at the University of
Wisconsin-Milwaukee. He plans to graduate
in December 2012 with a master’s degree
in architecture with an ecological design
certification

Noah, have a son, Cameron Albert Shepard,
born Oct. 27, 2010.
Gail Gitcho ’01 of Arlington, Va., is the
communications director for the presidential
exploratory committee for former Massachusetts
governor Mitt Romney. She had been the
communications director for Massachusetts
Sen. Scott Brown (R). She previously served
as regional press secretary for Romney’s 2008

Woodbury, Minn., have a son, Parker James
Goerlitz, born Jan. 18, 2011.
Jeremy Martinson ’03 of New London, Wis.,

is a veterinary technician assistant at Heritage
Animal Hospital in Hortonville/Greenville. His
responsibilities include animal restraint, surgery
prep, lab work and booking appointments.
Anne Monnens ’03 of Minneapolis writes: “I
am enjoying the summer off with my two children,
Oscar and Juniper. I am looking forward to my
second semester of nursing school next fall.”
Ashley Bildsten Roff ’03 and her

husband, Erick, of Seattle, Wash., have a
son, Elliott Richard Roff, born Dec. 3, 2010.
Jenny Fitzgerald ’04 of Mount Prospect,
Ill., received a master’s of business administration
degree with an emphasis in accounting and
finance from Regis University in Denver, Colo., in
2006. She is a staff accountant at National Louis
University and is starting her own accounting
business from her home.
Lisa Henke Graf ’04 and Jacob Graf
’05 of Greenville, Wis., have a daughter,

married Tyler Nichols, Aug. 13, 2010.
Sarah is a school psychologist at two elementary
schools in Highland Park, Ill.
Paula K. Richardson ’04 of
Oshkosh, Wis., married Ben Tompkins,
April 2, 2011. Paula is a kindergarten and
first-grade teacher in the Wautoma Area School
District.
Michael Timm ’04 of Cudahy,
Wis., recently completed his first
book, “Robertson-Ryan: A
History,” which chronicles the
history of the independent
Milwaukee insurance agency
founded in 1960 by Jack T. Ryan
and A.D. “Robbie” Robertson. More information
is available at michaeltimmwriter.blogspot.com.
Paula Richardson Tompkins ’04 of
Oshkosh, Wis., graduated in May 2011 with a
master’s degree in early childhood curriculum
and instruction from the University of
Wisconsin-Oshkosh.
Charles Patrick Johnson ’05 of Eau

Claire, Wis., is a home mortgage consultant for
Wells Fargo Home Mortgage. He is continually
expanding his property management business,
with a total of five rental properties that he both
owns and manages.
Lisa Marie Maisonneuve ’05 of

Shorewood, Wis., is the ongoing supervisor
at Children’s Service Society of Wisconsin. She
supervises a team of ongoing case managers
working with families to reach permanence for
children who have been neglected or abused.
The service is part of Children’s Hospital of
Wisconsin, and they are contracted by the Bureau
of Milwaukee Child Welfare to provide services.
They work closely with families, local police,
hospitals, schools and children’s court to keep
children and families safe.
Eric Allen Nee ’05 and his wife,
Nicole, of Pardeeville, Wis., have
a daughter, Tenley Jeanne Nee, born Jan. 5,
2011. Eric also completed his master’s degree in
administrative leadership at the University of
Wisconsin-Milwaukee in December 2010. He
graduated with a 4.0 and was a member of the
Phi Kappa Phi Honor Society.
E. Ashleigh Smith ’05 of Hohenwald, Tenn.,

works as a caregiver at The Elephant Sanctuary.
She and her husband, Donald, recently bought
their first house.

SUMMER 2011

|

25

CLASS

Notes

Terri Kahler Werner ’05 of Whitecreek,

Tenn., writes: “My husband, Matt, and I started
off our new year in Dallas, Texas, this year with
family. It was a great way to spend our first
‘married’ New Year’s together! This year holds a
great deal of travel to see our friends and family,
as well as time focusing on work and school
(well, for my husband, at least).
Christina Marie Forster ’06 of

Temperance, Mich., teaches German, levels
1 through 3, in grades 9 to 12 at Sylvania
Northview High School in Sylvania, Ohio.
Eric Gallagher ’06 and Krista Cage
Gallagher ’06 of Milwuakee, Wis., have a son,

Everett Michael Gallagher, born June 12, 2011.
Both Eric and Krista share the same birth date as
Everett.
Tom Hanlon ’06 of Knoxville, Tenn., is
part of the technical staff at the Y-12 National
Security Complex. “What are my duties? Well
it’s never the same thing twice,” he says. “I split
my time between work on highly enriched
uranium down-blending (which has a swords
to ploughshares aspect to it) where most of
what I do is statistical analysis; and nuclear
nonproliferation where my duties are evolving
but involve applying my background in physics
and chemistry to a variety of questions.”
Ed Hansen ’06 of Dekalb, Ill., received his
master’s degree in sports psychology in May from
Northern Illinois University. He is continuing to
pursue his doctorate in social psychology.
Michelle Pauly Nikolai ’06 and
Timothy E. Nikolai ’07 of Port

were married April 24, 2010. Reid is a registrar
coordinator for DeVry University in Irving, Texas.
Kristin is a pre-doctoral psychology intern with
the Federal Bureau of Prisons. She will obtain her
doctorate degree in clinical psychology in
September 2011.
Mara Gronli Evans ’07 of Chicago

graduated from Yale University in the spring of
2010. She is working as a certified nurse midwife
for NorthShore Associates and delivers babies at
Evanston Hospital in Evanston, Ill.
Kali Lynn Jankovich ’07 of Berwyn,

Ill., recently appeared on an episode of the
“Oprah” show that featured the singing talents
of 10-year-old opera singer Jackie Evancho.
Selected members of the Apollo Chorus of
Chicago accompanied her. Music director/
conductor Stephen Alltop also runs the Green
Lake Festival of Music choral workshop in the
summer. Kali is a member of the chorus and
was invited by Alltop to participate. Last year,
Apollo was chosen to sing the choral parts in the
26

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RIPON College

Chicago performances of Star Wars In Concert
before about 25,000 people including George
Lucas. They also sang Christmas carols live on
Chicago’s ABC 7 morning news last December.
Kali conducted that performance, and another
Apollo member – Kathy Hayevsky ’89 – also
performed.
Tylor S. Loest ’07 of
Brandon, Wis., was appointed
to the Fond du Lac County
Winnefox Library Board. He
accepted the Fond du Lac County
Beatification Award for Historic
Library Preservation with Library
Director Christy Ross ’07 on behalf of the
Brandon Public Library. Tylor also directed Ripon
High School’s acclaimed 2011 musical “All Shook
Up,” which was attended by 1,600 theatre-goers
with standing ovations at each performance.
Derek Ross Olson ’07 and Katie
J. Roepcke ’07 were married Sept. 8,

Stephanie Jungenberg ’08

married Jacob Wilson, Aug. 21, 2010.
They live in Westfield, Wis., and Stephanie is the
secretary for the Marquette County Emergency
Medical Services.
Alison Krings ’08 and Dustin Church of
Milwaukee, Wis., have a son, Dawson Dante
Church, born March 4, 2011.
Kristen Lemke ’08 of Fond du Lac, Wis.,
graduated from Cardinal Stritch University in
August 2010 with a master’s degree in clinical
psychology. She is a therapist/case manager for
the Columbia County Community Support
Program.
Nick Little ’08 of Salt Lake City, Utah, is

studying for his master’s degree in public health
at Westminster College. He also is a member of
the Army ROTC program at the University of
Utah.

2007. Katie runs a daycare out of their home.
Derek has published the website daycaresquare.
com, a nationwide directory and forum listing all
regulated daycares and providing forums for
providers and parents.

Erin R. Maguire ’08 of Ripon, Wis., is
attending Liberty University’s graduate master’s
program in marriage and family therapy and
employed as the director of youth ministry at Our
Saviour’s United Church of Christ.

Danielle Paiz ’07 of Pipe Creek,
Texas, is now the corporate development
director for the San Antonio chapter of the
American Heart Association. She married Bradley
Gunter, March 26, 2011. Three of her
bridesmaids were fellow sorority sisters (Alpha
Chi Omega/Alpha Gam Theta) Rachael
Smithback ’06, Angela Hodgson ’06 and

Ryan W. Manis ’08 of Watertown, Wis.,

Rhianna Craig ’07.
Michael T. Radtke ’07 of Neenah, Wis., is

is an assistant branch manager with Landmark
Credit Union.
Patricia Mazur ’08 of Wauwatosa, Wis.,
is a volunteer cheerleading coach at Greendale
High School. The team recently took second
place at the National High School Cheerleading
Championship in Orlando, Fla., making them the
highest-placing all-girl team ever from Wisconsin.

Lacy Rourke ’07 of Alexandria, Va., is now the

Trisha A. Shafer ’08 of Rice Lake, Wis.,
is a program and volunteer coordinator for the
Heart Island Family Enrichment Center.

national director for the nonprofit organization
National League of POW/MIA Families.

Erin Kelley Beggs ’09 of Belleville, Wis., is

the operations manager for Radtke Contractors Inc.

Jacob Conrad Schmidt ’07 of Coon

Rapids, Minn., is studying for his doctorate in
chemistry at the University of Minnesota.
Jonathan Steplyk ’07 of Libertyville,
Ill., is a graduate student in history at the Texas
Christian University.
Mary Sterrett ’07 of Springfield, Ill., is in

her fourth year of medical school at Southern
Illinois University School of Medicine. She is one
of the four medical students who received an
Alumni Scholarship award from SIU.
Megan Anderson ’08 of Wisconsin

Rapids, Wis., married Todd Kautzer,
Sept. 19, 2010. Megan is a social studies teacher
at Nekoosa High School.
Meshelle Shavon Davis ’08 of

Milwaukee, Wis., is a business analyst for
USBancorp Fund Services in Milwaukee.

a math teacher at Mount Horeb High School and
also coaches cross country and track.
Ellis Bosveld ’09 of Berlin, Wis., works
as a stock broker with Carl M. Hennig Inc. in
Oshkosh, Wis. He has been a fully licensed
broker for more than a year and also works with
another broker in a satellite office in Berlin. “Most
of my work comes from around the surrounding
area, however, I work with clients all over
the nation and really enjoy the ever-changing
conditions the market offers,” he writes. “I am
looking forward to a long career in this industry.”
Brian Felix ’09 of Edwardsville, Ill., is

studying nursing at Southern Illinois University.
He plans to graduate in December 2011.
Colin Freeman ’09 of Hobart, Wis., is
attending Northeast Wisconsin Technical College in
Green Bay to receive a Digital Photography

ALUMNI

Profile

Rise in German political world

had roots
in Ripon

Martin Biesel,
1985 and today.

I

n the fall of 1985, Martin Biesel came from Germany
and stepped foot onto a college campus in a foreign
country. He was there for multiple reasons: to study,
work and experience a new culture. The school was
Ripon College, and this was Biesel’s first time in the
United States.
During the 1985-86 school year, Biesel served as a
teaching assistant in the German department. He says his
main task was to support Professors James Hyde and Ted
Jones. He also taught a 200-level conversation class and a
beginners’ class.
Biesel also took advantage of his time at Ripon to be
a full-time student. He enjoyed taking classes within
the politics and government department, which he
characterized as “fun.” He also recalls his brief venture
into the computer science department as the opposite:
“not fun.”
As a member of Ripon’s men’s soccer team, he enjoyed
the team’s “excellent” coach, David Scott, as well as the
team’s camaraderie. “The other team members were very
entertaining – and thirsty – after matches against Beloit
or Lake Forrest,” Biesel says.
After his year as the German teaching assistant, Biesel
returned to Germany, continuing his education. He
received his master’s degree from Bonn University and
entered politics, joining the Free Democrats.
Biesel credits his time at Ripon for the advancement

of his career. His “sufficient English skills” he learned
at Ripon, as well as the fact he “still (spoke) with an
American accent” drew attention to him, and Free
Democrat Party Chairman Otto Lambsdorff made Biesel
his assistant.
In 1994, Biesel took a gamble and switched roles,
accepting the position of chief of staff for a young but
promising politician named Guido Westerwelle. The
alliance proved to be fruitful. Today, Westerwelle is the
Minister of Foreign Affairs while Biesel has risen to the
national position of State Secretary of the German Federal
Foreign Office.
“During my political career, I have been following
United States politics closely,” Biesel ssys. He has
returned to the United States numerous times to visit
both Democratic and Republican conventions. His most
vivid memory of these visits is when he happened to
meet a young senator campaigning in Ohio – Barack
Obama.
Whenever he visits the United States, he says, “It feels
like coming home, especially when I can enjoy a real
American steak.”
Biesel also still enjoys soccer, now often playing
with his son. He is an avid reader, mostly enjoying
contemporary German and American novels. b
By Lori Schroeder ’13,
Mounds View, Minn.

alumnus’ world view
Co m p a ssi on a nd l o ve a re the sam e
th e w o rl d o ve r, a nd Ja cob Graf ’05
di scove re d both during
re ce nt mi ssi on trips.
Graf ’05, of Greenville, Wis., is in
charge of Web development and
IT for Appleton Alliance Church in
Appleton, Wis. He participated in a
mission trip to Burkina Faso, Africa,
in September 2010 and one to Lima,
Peru, in November 2010. His church
has sister church relationships in both
locations.
Alliance works with Mighty Hearts
International. Started by Alliance
members, the organization provides
food, education, medical assistance
and programs for children in needy
areas. Both trips were life-changing
for him, Graf says. “We went there
and connected with the people.
People in both places were extremely
loving.”
In Burkina Faso, the church was in
a village of 26,000 people, and the
group also spent several days in the
bush, “an eight-hour trip out into
the middle of nowhere,” Graf says.
“There are not a lot of cars there, but
there were people lined up the whole
way with their donkeys. We were the
first white people this tribe has ever
seen. You felt like a celebrity there.
There were literally hundreds of kids
running behind the vehicle

28

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RIPON College

and jumping on to ride. They were so
excited to see us.”
Lima, Peru, is a city of 9 million
people. Althrough Graf’s group
arrived at midnight, there were 200
people from the church waiting for
them and applauding, and a 20-foot
welcome banner with all of their
pictures on it.
Graf says the contrast between the
two locations is striking. Burkina
Faso is the third-poorest country in
the world, and the airport has dirt
floors and primitive security. He says
drinking water and diseases such
as AIDS are major problems. Graf’s
group is working with a company to
repair wells and drill new ones.
Medical care also is an issue. The
one hospital that services the entire
tribe of 26,000 is a 20-by-30-foot
room with old grocery bags as IV
bags, rusty beds without mattresses
and an ambulance that is a little bed
on the back of a moped.
Lima is much more populated,
and there is a Starbucks across from
where they were staying. “But you
go out only 20 minutes and they’re
living in the middle of nowhere with
kids eating whatever they can find off
the ground,” Graf says.

Alliance also
works through Compassion
International, providing proper food
and education for children. Through
this organization, Graf has sponsored
a child in Burkina Faso for about a
year.
Graf says mission trips are
important. “You get wrapped up
in everything in the United States,
and everything doesn’t seem good
enough,” he says. “Mission trips
completely open your view of the
world. Out there, people are living
in these horrid conditions, and here
I am in an air-conditioned office,
working on the computer and talking
on the phone. It’s out of sight, out of
mind.
“Just one person can make a
difference. You could see them light
up, and they had this hope in their
eyes. I wish there were some sort of
pill I could take to get all of those
feelings you get from going there, but
there isn’t any. To see it that way, it
takes going there. It was huge.” b
To read more about Graf and his family,
see Class Notes on Page 25.

Certificate. He also is a photographer at Freeman’s
Photography and has a temporary job as an
administrative assistant at Georgia-Pacific Corp.

The 2010s

Greg George ’09 and Meagan SykesGeorge ’09 live in Fairbanks, Alaska, where

Fla., is studying for his master’s degree in
education-leadership and sports management
at Jacksonville University. He also is a graduate
assistant basketball coach there.

Greg was stationed at Fort Wainwright and
is loving life in the military. He was deployed
to Afghanistan in April. Meagan is substituteteaching and applying for graduate school.
Amy Hansen ’09 of Madison, Wis.,

married Michael Sullivan, Jan. 8, 2011.
Amy has completed her second year of law
school at the University of WisconsinMadison and will be working as a summer
associate at Herrling Clark Law Firm in
Appleton. Michael works for his family produce
farm, Sully’s Produce, in Sturgeon Bay.
Heather Koeller ’09 of Milwaukee, Wis.,

is studying for an undergraduate degree in
early childhood exceptional education at the
University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. She works
as a child care teacher at Penfield Children’s
Center and also works part time at Border’s
Bookstore.
Josh Kraemer ’09 and Katie Krueger
’09 of Cedarburg, Wis., oversee Anytime

Fitness. Katie is the club director, and Josh is
the personal training manager.

Josh Bailen ’10 of Ponte Vedra Beach,

Molly Breitbach ’10 of Milwaukee, Wis.,

is employed by the USDA Forest Service as a
tour guide/administrative assistant for the Grey
Towers National Historic Site in Milford, Pa.
Shanna Bude ’10 of Pardeeville, Wis., is

working at Lake Lucerne Summer Camp for
the summer. In September, she will start a
master’s degree in Christian education at
Northwestern University’s Garrett Evangelical
Theological Seminary in Evanston, Ill.
Amanda Dawson ’10 of St. Paul, Minn., is

attending Bethel Seminary for her master’s degree
in marriage and family therapy. She also works
part time as a mental health support staff at
Bristol Place Corp.
Sean E. Devenport ’10 of Kerrville, Texas,
is a youth worker at K Star emergency shelter, a
nonprofit foster home.
Kyle Farrell ’10 of St. Francis, Wis., is a
credit application specialist for Actuant Electrical.

Jon Larsen ’09 of Sun Prairie, Wis., has
opened a new branch of TotalMed staffing in
Madison, providing HIT consultants within
hospital systems throughout Wisconsin and the
Midwest.

Kirsten F. Gerek ’10 of Glenview, Ill., is
an assistant to the director of development at the
Geneva Foundation of Presbyterian Homes.

Andrew McKee ’09 and Lindsay
Sykes ’12 of Lacey, Wash., married

Kenosha, Wis., is working for Delta Pharma, a
pharmaceutical company, and Baxter Healthcare.

July 16, 2010. Andrew is currently serving in
Afghanistan.
Melinda S. McNett ’09 of Wisconsin

Rapids, Wis., is a sales and marketing manager
for Big Bay Brewing Company in the Madison
area.
Matthew Stensberg ’09 of

Crawfordsville, Ind., is a graduate student in
agricultural and biological engineering at Purdue
University in West Lafayette, Ind.
Bruce J. Stephenson ’09 of Ripon, Wis., is

a senior pharmacy technician at Walgreens.

Katherine R. Hartstern ’10 of

Rachel Jenks ’10 of Janesville,
Wis., married Chad Snyder, Sept. 4,
2010. She is branch office administrator for
Bankers Life and Casualty in Rockford, Ill.
Melissa Klein ’10 of Lake Geneva, Wis., is

studying for her master’s degree in library science
at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.
Meagan Kochel ’10 of Racine, Wis., is

taking pre-medical classes at the University of
Wisconsin-Parkside in Kenosha. She also works
part time as a line therapist at the Wisconsin
Early Autism Project.

Sarah J. Leeman ’10 of Madison, Wis., is

studying for her master’s of library science degree
at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
Jessica Mann ’10 was married to
Andrew Peck ’10, Oct. 23, 2010, by

President David Joyce. They live in Milwaukee.
Bethany S. Mehlberg ’10 of Marion, Wis.,
is substitute-teaching around her hometown area.
This summer, she is teaching summer school and
coaching softball.
Ashley M. Meister ’10 of Suamico, Wis., is

a lead generation representative for
J.J. Keller and Associates in Appleton, Wis.
Nathan N. Paul ’10 of Bristol, Va.,
is studying for his master’s of business
administration degree at King College in
Bristol, Tenn.
Raj Anthony Pelon ’10 of Eugene, Ore., is

working for St. Vincent DePaul.
Thomas J. Rhodes ’10 of Milwaukee, Wis., is
attending law school at Marquette University.
Danielle Scholfield ’10 of Middleton,

Wis., is a business analyst with HP Enterprise
Services LLC in Madison.
Daniel Sterba ’10 of Kenosha, Wis., is
attending Kaplan University Online for his
master’s degree in environmental management.
He also is working as a quality assurance
technician at Baptista’s Bakery.
Stephanie Sumner ’10 of Ripon, Wis., is
working as a caregiver at Evergreen Retirement
Community in Oshkosh, Wis. She also is
attending nursing school at the University of
Wisconsin-Oshkosh.
Elizabeth A. Weigler ’10 of Santa
Barbara, Calif., is a student in the University
of California-Santa Barbara’s master’s/doctoral
cultural anthropology program.
Brittney Wiggins ’10 of Plymouth, Wis.,

is a graduate student in biology at the University
of Wisconsin-Oshkosh. She plans to graduate in
the spring of 2012.
Megan Wise ’10 married Ryan
Werch, Aug. 1, 2010, in Great Hall on
the Ripon College campus. They live in Chicago.

SUMMER 2011

|

29

In Memoriam

2011

Rose Butler ’34 of Rosendale,

Wis., died May 16, 2011. At
Ripon, she studied biology and
Latin. She taught for seven years;
worked in Milwaukee at the post
office and other jobs for several
years; Green Giant in Ripon and
the American Baptist Assembly in Green Lake.
She traveled to every continent except Antarctica
and toured most countries several times. She was
active in the Order of the Eastern Star for more
than 50 years, and the White Shrine of Jerusalem
with her father in Fond du Lac. Rose received the
Century Farm Award at the State Fair in August
2010. Her farm had been in the family for more
than 112 years.
John Ernest Jung ’34 of Manitowoc, Wis.,
died March 24, 2011. He attended Ripon on
an athletic scholarship, majoring in chemistry
and mathematics. He received a master’s degree
in guidance counseling from the University of
Wisconsin-Madison in 1948. He taught and
coached in Necedah and Manitowoc, Wis. He
participated in ROTC at Ripon, served during
World War II and was a second lieutenant in the
Reserves. He belonged to St. Paul’s Methodist
Church, Maritime Museum, Elks Lodge 687,
Capitol Civic Centre, Masonic Lodge, Manitowoc
Retired Educators Association, Manitowoc
County Historical Society and Woodland Dunes
Nature Center. Survivors include his wife,
Berniece, 21219 Limousine Drive, Sun City,
West, AZ 95375; one son and one daughter; and
a cousin, Alvin A. Altmayer ’27.
Ruth Sweet Knueppel ’36 of Fort Atkinson,

Wis., died Aug. 27, 2010. At Ripon, she
studied English. She was a member of First
Congregational Church since 1928, the Martha
Chapter Order of the Eastern Star, past president
and life member of the Fort Memorial Hospital
Auxiliary, life member of the Fort Atkinson
Historical Society, friend of the Dwight Foster
Public Library, the Humane Society of Jefferson
County and a life member of the Fairhaven
Auxiliary in Whitewater.
Mary Hargrave Maxwell ’36 of Bradenton,
Fla., died February 5, 2011. She was a retired
teacher from the Bradenton Public Schools.
Survivors include one daughter.
Lila Hammen Primrose ’37 of Elgin, Ill.,

died Nov. 22, 2010. She grew up in Ripon and
was active in 4-H in her younger years. She
and her husband lived in Algonquin, Ill., for 60
years, and she taught school in Dundee from
1963 to 1981 and then Sunday school and as a
member of the Congregators in Algonquin. She
was a Girl Scout and Brownies leader as well
as a den mother, and was a 60-year member
of the Garden Club. Survivors include one son
and one daughter; and a sister-in-law, Esther
Primrose Reed ’31. Her husband, A.
Dayton Primrose ���35, died in 1982.

30

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RIPON College

Roland “Rollie” C. Lewis
’40 of Beloit, Wis., died Jan. 26,

2011. He was employed in the
financial section of Fairbanks
Morse Engine Division for 40
years and retired in 1982. He
served on the Wisconsin
Committee for Improved Expenditure
Management at Madison in 1965; was an active,
lifelong active member of River of Life United
Methodist Church; a longtime member of the
Beloit Noon Lions Club; and a volunteer with the
Red Cross Blood Mobile, Meals on Wheels, F-M
Credit Union, Beloit Memorial Hospital Escort
and Friends of the Library. He served in the
Wisconsin State Guard for four years. Survivors
include one son and two daughters.
William John McMillan III ’43 of

Frankfort, Mich., died Jan. 1, 2011. At Ripon,
he studied physics. He was an Army Air Corps
navigator during World War II and a prisoner
of war in Germany for 13 months. He flew 50
missions during the Korean War. His medals
include the Purple Heart, Distinguished Flying
Cross and Air Medal with 13 Oak Leaf Clusters.
He was a research physicist and plastics engineer
for the Dow Chemical Co. in Midland, Mich.,
and is credited with 22 patents (including
Styrofoam packing peanuts). After retiring, he
moved to Crystal Lake, Mich., and started a
27-acre vineyard. His memoir, “My Life with
Adversity,” was published in 2009. Survivors
include three sons and one daughter.
Christine Miller Yell ’46 of Omro, Wis.,
died Aug. 19, 2010. She was a retired first-grade
teacher. Survivors include one son and one
daughter; a sister, Justine Miller Sommers
’45; and a grandson, Vince Padilla ’95.
Betsy Gruber Conrad ’48 of Ripon, Wis.,

died Dec. 17, 2010. At Ripon, she studied
English and married Rheinold Conrad. They
farmed outside of Ripon, where she helped milk
cows, raise chickens, drive tractor and grow a
garden. She enjoyed playing games, drawing and
cooking. She served with numerous community
organizations, including as president of the
League of Woman Voters and president of the
local chapter of the American Field Service (AFS),
which promotes the exchange of foreign students
at the high school level. Survivors include her
husband, Rheinold Conrad, N7556 State Road
44/49, Ripon WI 54971; two sons, including
Mark Conrad ’73; and one daughter.
Donald J. Peterson ’49 of Neenah, Wis.,
died May 13, 2011. He served with the 914th
Army Air Force in the Pacific Theater in
Australia, New Guinea, Philippines and Okinawa
during World War II, and during the occupation
of Japan. He was treasurer/vice president and
part-owner of Moe Northern Co. (now known as
Crescent Electric) where he worked for 36 years,
retiring in 1994. He was a member for many

years of St. Pius Catholic Church, Appleton.
Survivors include one daughter.
William E. Doll ’50 of Rockford, Ill., died

Nov. 15, 2010. He was a teacher and football
coach at Manawa and Ashland high schools
and retired from Sundstrand as a personnel
director. He played saxophone and clarinet in
numerous bands, including his own Bill Doll
Jazztet. He was a member and director of the
Rockford Barbershoppers for the past 38 years
and sang baritone in the barbershop quartet The
Tag-A-Longs. Survivors include his wife, Audrey
Doll, 3719 Marieme Drive, Rockford, IL 61108;
two sons and three daughters; and a brother,
George Doll ’44.
Virginia Raisch Powell ’50

of Chicago died Jan. 18, 2010. At
Ripon, she studied psychology.
She graduated from the University
of Chicago’s School of Social
Service Administration with a
master’s degree in 1952. She was a
child welfare worker for the State of Illinois,
Department of Children and Family Services. She
and her husband, the first priest to serve
Chicago’s Native American community, founded
Saint Augustine’s Center for American Indians.
She was supervisor of casework services until
1986. She loved to travel and visited England,
Europe, Israel and the Far East. Survivors include
her husband, Peter J. Powell ’50, 919 W.
Belden Ave., Chicago, IL 60614; two sons and
two daughters.
Mary Ellen Brodie Whitmore ’50 of

Phoenix, Ore., died Jan. 26, 2011. At Ripon,
she studied English and French. She taught
in the San Francisco Bay area. She and her
husband, Bryce Whitmore, owned and operated
Wilderness Water Ways, a whitewater rafting
firm that pioneered weekend rafting trips in
Oregon and California. She moved to Oregon
in 1975, living in Butte Falls and Ashland, and
taught part time. After retiring, she enjoyed her
rural Ashland property and garden, travels to
the Oregon coast and friends. She supported
her daughters and their horses at dressage and
eventing shows and took up riding herself at the
age of 52. Survivors include two daughters.
Richard C. Froede ’51 of Tucson, Ariz., died
Feb. 9, 2011. At Ripon, he studied biology, and
he also graduated from Marquette University
School of Medicine. He served for 21 years in
the U.S. Air Force, stationed in the United States,
England and Germany. He retired as a colonel.
He then taught pathology at the University of
Arizona Medical School for 11 years and was
the chief medical examiner for nine Arizona
counties. He spent five years in Washington,
D.C., as a civilian Distinguished Scientist in
Forensic Sciences and was named this country’s
first Armed Forces Medical Examiner. Survivors
include his wife, Suzanne, 6300 E. Speedway

of Hillsboro, Wis., died Dec. 29,
2010. He studied history at Ripon
and played football. He received a
master’s degree in guidance and
counseling from Marquette
University and a doctorate in
administration and educational services from
Michigan State. He served in the Air Force and as
a first lieutenant in the Army. He taught at
several high schools; later serving as dean of
men, administrative dean of students and a
professor in the College of Education at Northern
Illinois University. He retired in 1987 after 25
years there. He was an active volunteer and
community leader, and traveled frequently.
Survivors include his wife, Marta Ann McDonald,
705 Prairie Ave., Hillsboro, WI 54634; two sons
and one daughter.
Jack Dekker ’52 of Palm Beach Gardens,
Fla., died April 8, 2011. He attended Ripon
College, graduated early and earned a master’s
in business administration degree from the
Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He
was a 27-year employee of Ford Motor Co. in
Michigan, working first in product planning and
then becoming display and special promotion
manager in merchandising for the LincolnMercury Division. After retiring, he became an
investment broker with AG Edwards. He enjoyed
bowling, golf and travel. Survivors include his
wife, Doris, 1415 Devonshire Way, Palm Beach
Gardens, FL 33418; and one son.
Carol Cole Durkin ’53 of Brooklyn, Mich.,

died July 6, 2008. She majored in French at
Ripon and had worked as a reservationist with
United Airlines in Chicago. Survivors include
one daughter.
Anna Mae “Annie” Ferk Jacobson ’55 of
Venice, Fla., died Dec. 16, 2010. She attended
St. Scholastica and Ripon College. Anna Mae was
an advocate of Catholic education. She taught
school at St. Henry’s in Belbrook, Ohio, where
she donated her salary back to the school to
preserve the music program. Before Alzheimer’s
robbed her intellect, Annie enjoyed a good game
of bridge, loved to read and was an excellent
cook. She had a wonderful sense of humor.
Annie and her husband lived in Germany,
Alabama, Indiana, Pennsylvania and Florida.
Survivors include her husband, James “Jake”
Jacobson ’54, 437 West Gate Drive, Venice,FL
34285; two sons and one daughter.

Thomas Frank Linde ’56 of

Black Hawk, S.D., died Nov. 15,
1910. He had brain damage to
parts of his brain which control
motor functions but graduated
with honors from high school
and Ripon College. He received a
master’s degree and doctorate in clinical
psychology from the University of Illinois. He
was a clinical psychologist at the veteran’s
hospital in Knoxville, Iowa; an avid music lover
and composer of sacred music. He guestconducted with the Minnesota Symphony
Orchestra and was a lifelong ham radio operator,
artist, author, inventor and benefactor. His
autobiography, “I Am Not What I Am,” was
published in 2001. Survivors include two sons; a
brother, Richard Paul Linde ’54; and a
sister-in-law, Constance Smith Linde ’54.
Jane M. Stauffacher Moy ’56 of Topsfield,
Mass., died Jan. 22, 2011. She previously had
lived in the Chicago area. She had worked as a
high school math teacher; and as a computer
programmer and business analyst with Parker
Brothers for 18 years. She was an avid gardener
and enjoyed knitting, sewing, ceramics, crafts,
cross word puzzles, baking and travel. Survivors
include her husband, Forrest “Woody” Moy
’56, 37 North St., Topsfield, MA 01983; one
daughter; and a niece, Diane Moy Quon ’79.
Morton R. “Mike” Spence Jr. ’56 of

Chenequa, Wis., died March 29, 2011. He
attended Ripon College, Carroll College and
the Milwaukee School of Engineering, where
he earned a degree in mechanical engineering.
He worked for Lange Lift Co., Milwaukee, then
joined Rundle-Spence and became the fourth
president of the company in the mid-’60s.
He was instrumental in organizing the New
Berlin Industrial Association in 1965; and
served on many community industry, banking,
municipal, educational, country club and
health-care boards. He enjoyed tennis, golf,
skiing and boating and for years was an avid and
competitive sailor. Survivors include his wife,
Marie, N6075 Oakland Hills Road, Nashotah, WI
53058; two sons and one daughter.
Leonard W. Harsel ’57 of Fairfax, Va.,
died March 30, 2011. Upon graduation, he was
commissioned in the U.S. Army and retired as a
lieutenant colonel in 1978. He had served two
tours in Vietnam and several in Germany. He
taught military intelligence in a variety of settings
during active duty and reserve service. Upon
retirement from the military, he was an analyst of
automatic data processing systems for McDonnell
Douglas and retired from there. He also was a
world paper money dealer with international
clientele. Survivors include his wife, Suzanne
Harsel, 4107 Concordia St,. Fairfax, VA 22032;
one son and two daughters.

Lauretta Forst Spenader ’59 of Coquille,

Ore., died Jan. 16, 2011. At Ripon, she studied
English and history. She taught high school
English for one year in Illinois before moving
to San Francisco, where her husband was
stationed in the Army. She worked for Syntex
Pharmaceuticals in Palo Alto, eventually earning
a management position in human resources.
In 1992, she and her husband moved to the
Oregon coast and opened the Barton House Bed
& Breakfast. After retiring in 1999, she became
an active community volunteer and recently was
named Coquille Citizen of the Year. Survivors
include her husband, Lynn David “Tony”
Spenader ’59, 645 E. First St., Coquille, OR
97423; and two sons.
Carol Grant Troestler
’60 of Prairie du Sac, Wis., died

Feb. 17, 2011. At Ripon, she
studied psychology and biology
and received the Distinguished
Alumni Award in 2010. She
obtained her master’s degree in
social work from the University of WisconsinMadison in 1980. She co-founded Pathway
Clinic in Prairie du Sac in 1984, retiring in 1998.
She also co-founded Renewing Life, helping
people with life-threatening illness, after her own
battle with breast cancer. She wrote two
historical novels, “Flow on Sweet Missouri” and
“Iowa Born and Bred,” and volunteered in the
community. She visited all 50 states and more
than 50 countries. Survivors include her
husband, Tom Troestler ’59, 729 Risley Oak
Court, Prairie du Sac, WI 53578; three sons and
three daughters.
Michael James Berg ’61 of Madison, Wis.,
died Jan. 6, 2011. After attending Ripon College,
he earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology
from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. He
served in the U.S. Army in Munich, Germany,
and in Vietnam. He was awarded the Bronze
Star Medal (First Oak Leaf Cluster) and Army
Commendation Medal, Republic of Vietnam. He
then worked for Oscar Mayer and was promoted
in 1987 to vice president, industrial relations,
at the corporate organization in Madison. He
retired in 1996. He was a reservist and an
accomplished competitive rifleman and coach.
Survivors include his wife, Pamela Lynn Miller,
15 Shade Tree Court, Madison, WI 53717; two
sons; one daughter; and his mother, Dorothy
Henryson of Greenville, S.C.
Lyle Hunter Finch ’61 of Rohnert Park,
Calif., died Dec. 20, 2010. At Ripon, he studied
philosophy. He worked as a free-lance writer.
Survivors include his wife, Rosita Finch, 6844
Avenida Cala, Rohnert Park, CA 94928.

SUMMER 2011

|

31

In Memoriam

2011

Judith Baum Halloran ’61 of Marble Falls,

Thomas G. Edwards ’80 of Hoover, Ala.,

Texas, died Oct. 26, 2010. She was a retired
legal secretary, a member of Trinity Episcopal
Church in Marble Falls and a member of the
“Plungetts.” Survivors include one son and one
daughter.

Robert E. Jennings Jr. ’71 of Mansfield
Township, N.J., died June 1, 2011. At Ripon, he
studied English, and he also earned a degree in
industrial arts from Keane College in New Jersey.
He was a carpenter for more than 20 years at
AT&T and taught in high schools. He currently
was the wood shop teacher at Bloomfield High
School. He enjoyed reading, the Yankees and
coaching youth sports. Survivors include two
sons.
Patricia Shireman Fernbach ’72 of

Pasadena, Calif., died June 28, 2008. She
studied psychology at Ripon. Survivors include
her husband, Robert Fernbach ’69, 1255
Coronet Ave., Pasadena, CA 91107; one son and
one daughter.
Nancy Monard Werhane ’75 of Willow
Spring, Ill., died March 8, 2011. She was a
longtime committee member and volunteer for
the annual DesPlaines Valley Rendezvous in
Willow Spring and was the wool spinner at the
annual event. Survivors include her husband,
Scott M. Werhane ’74, 801 Cedar St.,
Willow Spring, IL 60480; one son and three
daughters.
John K. Critser ’76 of Columbia, Mo.,
died March 21, 2011. He studied biology and
philosophy at Ripon, then received a master’s
degree and a doctorate from the University of
Wisconsin-Madison. He was the GilbreathMcLorn professor for comparative medicine
at the University of Missouri-Columbia. He
was passionate about scientific research and
preparing graduate students. Survivors include
his wife, Elizabeth, 4580 E. Ravens Ridge
Drive, Columbia, MO 65201; one son and one
daughter.
Raymond J. Gilles ’76 of Shiocton, Wis.,

died June 6, 2011. He attended West Point and
received a degree in economics from Ripon.
He worked at Mainline Inc., was director of
customer service at Carver Boat Corp. and
most recently was operations manager at D &
S Machine Service. He enjoyed and played all
sports, especially softball. He also loved to read.
Survivors include one son and one daughter.
William F. Neuert III ’76 of Glenview, Ill.,
died March 30, 2011. He studied history at
Ripon. He had been a benefits consultant for the
General Board of Pension & Health Benefits of
the United Methodist Church. Survivors include
his wife, Sally, 2651 Goldenrod Lane, Glenview,
IL 60026; and two daughters.

32

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RIPON College

Zia-ur Rahman ’84 of

Williamsburg, Va., died Dec. 16,
2010, after an automobile
accident. He was originally from
Pakistan. At Ripon, he studied
physics and mathematics. He
received master’s and doctorate
degrees from the University of Virginia. A
research scientist with NASA Langley Research
Center, he was a talented and award-winning
inventor. He previously was an associate
professor at Old Dominion University and at the
College of William & Mary. He was the team
manager for his sons’ soccer teams for several
years, was an excellent cook and fostered cats
while they healed. Survivors include his wife,
Katherine Miner Rahman ’84, 4840
Bristol Circle, Williamsburg, VA 23185; and
three sons.
William Harmon
Hollinger of Hiram, Ohio, a

basketball and track coach at
Ripon College from 1948 to
1956, died April 9, 2011. He
served as a first lieutenant in the
U.S. Army and was awarded a
Bronze Star for his service during World War II.
He also was the Hiram College Liaison for the
Cleveland Browns; and the head basketball and
track coach, assistant football coach and athletic
director at Hiram College from 1956 to 1989.
He was the former chairman of the Ohio
Athletic Conference Athletic Directors, and the
former chairman of the Presidents’ Athletic
Conference Athletic Directors. He received
numerous awards honoring his achievements.
Survivors include four daughters.
Alfred E. Kahn, a noted

economist and the “father”
of airline deregulation, died
Dec. 27, 2010. He served as an
assistant professor and chair of
the economics department at
Ripon from 1945 to 1947 and
joined the faculty at Cornell University in 1947.
He made a name at the Civil Aeronautics Board
for his war on “bureaucratese.” He was
appointed to the usage panel of the American
Heritage Dictionary. Kahn published a
landmark, two-volume work, “The Economics
of Regulation,” which called for deregulating the
airlines. President Jimmy Carter picked Kahn to
head the federal Civil Aeronautics Board and to
head the Council on Wage and Price Stability.

recipient in 2000, died Dec. 10, 2010. She was
born March 30, 1923, in Sighet, Romania. She
had been a holocaust survivor of the Auschwitz
and Bergen-Belsen death campus, and spoke on
campus. Survivors include four daughters; and a
granddaughter, Kimberly Oxman Kaholo ’00
Herman Jerome “Jerry”
Thompson of Barron, Wis.,

who formerly had been a coach,
chaplain and professor of
religion at Ripon College, died
Dec. 23, 2010. He received
bachelor’s and master’s degrees
from the University of
Wisconsin-Madison, where he lettered and was
on the starting teams for both football and
baseball, and was a member of Wisconsin’s Big
Ten championship baseball team of 1946. He
coached at various high schools and colleges,
including Ripon for two years. During his
second year, Ripon won the Midwest
Conference championship. He then received a
master’s of divinity degree from Luther
Theological Seminary in 1961. He returned to
Ripon College to found the religion department
and serve as professor of religion and college
chaplain from 1962 to 1985. He founded and
directed the Ripon College Upward Bound
Program, an educational enrichment program
for American Indian and African American
junior and senior high school students, from
1965 to 1973. From 1973 to 1983, he founded
and directed the Ripon College Educational
Opportunity Program, now called Student
Support Services. He also was the commissioner
for the Midwest Collegiate Athletic Conference
for 16 years, delivered hundreds of sermons and
speeches, wrote many articles and co-wrote a
book, “The Bible as Literature.” He received an
honorary doctorate degree of Sacred Theology
from Ripon College in 1992, was inducted into
the Ripon College Athletic Hall of Fame in
1998, and earned the Severy Award, Senior
Class Faculty Seward and Athletic Booster
Award. He served with many community
organizations and was a member of the United
States Tennis Association for 26 years. Survivors
include two sons, including Steven
Thompson ’69, and two daughters; a
daughter-in-law, Corey Coquillette
Thompson ’77; a granddaughter, Rachel
Thompson Casey ’99; and a nephew,
Douglas William Meade ’74.

We’re pleased to introduce you
to the newest member of the
Ripon College family.
One problem:
it doesn’t have
a name.

The feathered friend pictured
here is the personification of
the Red Hawks athletic mascot.
The Office of Marketing and
Communication and the Athletic
Department worked with
graphic designer Joe Bosack,
the creator of Ripon’s current

institutional and athletic logos,
to bring the Ripon Red Hawk to
life.
Throughout the course of
the next several months, we’ll
be asking our alumni, current
students, families and friends to
help us name this new character.

Send your suggestions to
NametheRedHawk@ripon.edu.
We’ll select several of what we
feel are the best and put them
to a vote this fall. The winning
name will be announced during
the Homecoming football game
Saturday, Oct. 1.

NON-PROFIT
ORGANIZATION
U.S. POSTAGE

PAID

300 Seward Street
Ripon, WI 54971-0248
www.ripon.edu

LGI

Address Service Requested

F l a s h B A C K b 1940

A grateful son of Ripon Legendary movie actor Spencer Tracy ’24 receives an honorary doctorate in
dramatic arts from President Silas Evans on the steps of Lane Library, June 10, 1940. “I owe whatever
success I have had to the help and success I got at Ripon,” Tracy said. “To you of the graduating class …
when you come back, you will feel as I do.”